Predictions

MEN

Moguls: Jeremy Bloom, 19, took a year off from playing football at Colorado to chase his Olympic dream--with no guarantees he would make the Olympic team. Sometimes things really work out. Bloom heads to Salt Lake as the leader in the World Cup points race and heads an American moguls squad deep in talent. Jonny Mosely, for example, won gold in Nagano. Evan Dybvig was a ’98 Olympian. And Travis Mayer--a student at Cornell--has capped a stunning rise from the junior ranks. Janne Lahtela and Mikko Ronkainen, both of Finland, are the most likely challengers from abroad.

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Aerials: Eric Bergoust is the man to beat. If Bergoust is slightly off, look for Alexei Grichin of Belarus or Ales Valenta of the Czech Republic to step up. Valenta is the only competitor to complete five twists in one aerial maneuver; if conditions are right, he may attempt the move at the Games. Americans Brian Currutt, who has three top-10 finishes this season, and Joe Pack are also legitimate medal threats; Pack let last year’s World Cup title slip away to Bergoust in large part because of problems on his final jump of the season.

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WOMEN

Moguls: Shannon Bahrke likes to wear glitter before she rocks down the mogul course. It pumps her up, she says. Glittery “Sparky” Bahrke, as she’s known, and another American, Hannah Hardaway, figure to compete for medals. But Kari Traa of Norway, the bronze medalist at Lillehammer in 1994 and last year’s World Cup champion, goes in with the best chance for gold.

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Aerials: Jacqui Cooper of Australia--that’s right, Australia, known worldwide for many things but not mountains or snow--is the best in the world. Other top competitors include Alla Tsuper of Belarus and Nagano silver medalist Xu Nannan of China. Emily Cook of Belmont, Mass., the top American aerialist, bowed out of the Games after suffering a foot injury in a training crash Jan. 17 at Lake Placid.

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Alan Abrahamson