Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Shelley Osterloh Reporting Olympic competition today features the Giant Slalom. Along with Bode Miller and gold medalist Ted Ligety, another Park City skier will try to earn a medal.
We first started following Erik Schlopy in 1993, just before he competed in his first Olympic games in Lillehammer. Now, at 33, he is an old guy on the team. This is his third Olympics, and he is hoping to win a medal in the Giant Slalom.
Park City's Erik Schlopy has won seven U.S. championships and a bronze at the 2003 Worlds. At 33 years old, he is a remarkably strong and technically sound skier --- even his buddy Bode Miller says that about him.
Schlopy says he has a new weapon in his arsenal --- his wife. Last summer he married former Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders, who won four medals at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
Erik Schlopy, US Skier: "The best thing about Summer is that she was an Olympic medalist-- two golds, a silver and a bronze-- and she understands my quest. She understands that I have to travel around the world, I have to train during the day. And she gets that. On top of that, she got the medals, so she is probably my greatest resource. Not just my biggest fan, but my greatest resource."
Erik and Summer first met on a blind date in 2003. She is pregnant with their first child, due in April.
