U.S. downhiller now training to fight fires; may try to make Olympic Skiercross team.
May 8th, 2007
PARK CITY, Utah -- Olympian Tom Rothrock (Cashmere, WA) has retired after eight seasons with the U.S. Ski Team, Alpine Director Jesse Hunt said.
Rothrock, a 2002 Olympic skier and former Western regional slalom and giant slalom junior champion, had four World Cup top-10 results in his career. He was named to his third consecutive World Championships Team this past winter.
"I still feel competitive, but the traveling really gets to you, so I'm excited to go into some different opportunities. I may try skiercross - I did a couple of them in the spring and it was fun, and that'll be in the Olympics in 2010," he said. "Yeah, it would be cool to go back to the Olympics in a different sport...and the travel now is all in the U.S., so that's good, too."
He said he also may soothe the competitive urge by perhaps coaching juniors; in addition, he's taking Emergency Medical Technician classes en route to becoming a fulltime fireman.
"I'm in the middle of the EMT process, but, definitely, being a fireman has some of that all-risk element from ski racing," Rothrock said. "It's similar to ski racing with the rush and there's the chance to help people out."
He singled out three highlights in his career - finishing sixth in slalom despite sloppy conditions at Sestriere, Italy, in 2005; turning-in the fastest second run in slalom to finish 12th at the 2003 World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland; "...and definitely being in the 2002 Olympics."
"Tom's been a great teammate, an outstanding slalom skier, and we're going to miss him, but he's got other opportunities and we wish him the best of everything," Hunt said.
Rothrock and his wife Angie live with their young son Preston, born last summer, in Spokane, WA.
