Alpine Skiing

WHISTLER, B.C. -- The Canadian men's ski team isn't looking for fair-weather friends when eight of them go to the top of the Dave Murray run Wednesday morning.

The team's head coach and athletic director are hoping for the nastiest, foggiest, snowiest storm the mountains can muster, bad enough to call off the next two training runs for the Olympic downhill.

"If its only one training run, we would not be unhappy. There's some really good skiers out there and it won't take them long to pick up the course," said athletic director Max Gartner.

Canada's skiers have had more exposure to the long downhill than any other country, including two Canadian championships. Manuel Osborne-Paradis once said Canadian skiers could come down the run blindfolded if they had to.

"Weather's not going to be an issue for us. We've had plenty of runs down this hill," said head coach Paul Kristofic. "The guys are pretty comfortable to let it rip at any moment."

The forecast calls for freezing temperatures and snow at the top of the mountain but warmer teamperatures and rain near the bottom. Around the midle of the course, some fog is expected in mid-afternoon. The softer conditions could see the lower part of the track chewed up, while fog in the midle is a visual hazard.

"You don't want to have a million people coming down the line. They'll push really hard to get the whole training in tomorow and at that point that's money in the bank," said men's head caoch Paul Kristofic. "Once they get one training run in, they'll take their time to make sure they're not pushing and beating the track up too much. If we do get some lousy weather, they'll be sure to be careful and cancel the run the next day."

He said the Olympic final could go of with only one training run. It would be to the advantage of the Canadians.

The Canadian downhillers and their start numbers for Wednesday's training: Robbie Dixon (2); Erik Guay(4); Manuel Osborne-Paradis (11); Jan Hudec (38). The Super Combination crew: Louis-Pierre Helie (51); Tyler Nella (57); Ryan Semple (72) and Michael Janyk (87).

Canada is limited to four entries in the Olympic downhill final.

"We picked early numbers to make sure they get a run in," Kristofic said of his downhillers.

Among other start numbers for the first training: Klaus Kroell of Austria (8); Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway (9); Didier Defago of Switzerland (10); Carlo Janka of Switzerland (12); Michael Walchhofer of Austria (14); Werner Heel of Italy (15); Didier Cuche of Switzerland (16) and Bode Miller of the United States (17).