Nagano 1998 Olympics
Athlete profile: AJ Kitt
Posted: Tue February 3, 1998, CNN/SI
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Athlete
notes
In skiing circles, it's often said Tommy Moe got the gold medal and Kitt got
the girl...the first of the American downhillers to break through, Kitt is
nearing 30 years old and has been struggling for consistency since a knee
injury two years ago...when he looks back as his career, Kitt says, "The
first five, six years were really fun and easy, I was learning rapidly. Once I
established myself, bad luck started, but I've dealt with it"...on three
occasions, he was leading a World Cup race only to have it cancelled due to
weather...after winning the bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships, Kitt
was overshadowed by Moe in Lillehammer when he placed 17th...but after the
Olympics he married a former Miss Canada named Nancy, whom he had met on a
Mexican vacation...during the winter their phone bills reach some incredible
amount, which Kitt says, "I don't even want to tell you"...Kitt's
other companion, his dog Speed, died last year..."Alpine Jet" Kitt is
heading toward his fourth Olympics...his three previous Olympics did not turn
out as he had planned...in 1988 Calgary Olympics, the 19-year-old lacked the
experience, saying he did not know what he was doing "right or
wrong"...in 1992, Kitt went into the Albertville Olympics as the America's
Alpine hope -- appearing on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Olympics
Preview -- and although he had a stellar World Cup season, Kitt finished ninth
in the downhill competition in Val d'Isere... but Kitt still feels there's
speed in his future and put a huge emphasis on a good start this season,
saying, "I'd really like to have a couple great races before February to
boost my confidence up. Anyone can win the downhill right now, so I would love
to have some mental edge"...even Kitt who was sometimes called
"Arrogant Jerk" for his occasional cockiness can use a boost as he
has been slowed by injuries...after posting two second-place finishes in the
1995 season, Kitt lost almost all of the 1996 season when he suffered a torn
anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a training run for the
second race of the season...then on the way to recovery, Kitt had an motocross
accident, breaking his collarbone...since that ACL injury, Kitt has not gone
faster than eighth place in a World Cup race (as of December 31)...Kitt has
contemplated retirement -- while most of the other Americans returned home over
New Year's for the Gold Cup in Lake Placid, Kitt remained in Europe struggling
to middling results as the lone American on the World Cup..."The Gold Cup
is contrary to [US Skiing President] Bill Marolt's philosophy of fielding the
best teams at the Olympics," Kitt said. "Marolt's Olymnpic
qualification criteria are almost completely based on World Cup results, and
Lake Placid is totally contrary to that. There are six or seven men who
regularly compete on the World Cup circuit in downhill. But they get to Lake
Placid, and now you have 20 athletes, most of whom never even have seen a World
Cup downhill. Because the Lake Placid downhill course is less than World Cup
caliber, you could have an undeserving racer take away a spot from someone who
belongs on the Olympic team"...weather caused havoc in Lake Placid so one
member of the downhill team was not chosen there...Kitt still has the
confidence of the US men's head coach Bill Egan..."I think ‘determined' is
the key word," says Egan. "When AJ decides what he has to do, he has
an incredible ability to blow-out every other distraction and focus on his
skiing"...Kitt skis the way his father Ross once told him to; "You've
got fast feet, but there are a million people out there with fast feet. The
ones who win races are the ones with fast brains"..."[Kitt] has an
uncanny ability to learn while he's training," Egan said. "He learns
every turn he takes"...Kitt loves to ski, no matter what the season...once
the snow melts, his skiing turns aquatic...he puts away the long downhill skis
and pulls out a slalom water ski and heads for the water...Kitt has a 21-foot
powerboat and puts it to work at a private lake near Boulder,
Colorado...besides water skiing, Kitt enjoys playing softball with Nancy in a
coed league during the summer...Kitt's full name is "Alva Ross Kitt
IV"...his father had already claimed "Ross," and
"Alva" was not particularly favored by his parents...Kitt liked the
sound of "AJ" and that became his nickname (and no period in between
the A and the J)...