‘War Horse’ a dark horse? Andrew Weibrecht making strong push to make deep US downhill team

Weibrecht aspiring to repeat Beaver Creek success

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. — Every so often, U.S. skier Andrew Weibrecht cues up the video of his spellbinding downhill descent at this World Cup stop.

He does it to remind himself what he can do when he turns off the fear and flips on the adrenaline.

Two years ago, he attacked the Beaver Creek downhill course, teetering on the verge of a major spill on big turn after big turn as he plunged down the slope in a snowstorm.

Weibrecht finished 10th that day, his best showing at a World Cup event. Up until now, that’s been Weibrecht’s claim to fame. These days, the skier nicknamed “War Horse” wants to prove he’s more than a one-trick pony.

And what better way than back at Beaver Creek, where Weibrecht joins Bode Miller and other American teammates at the only men’s World Cup stop on U.S. slopes, with races Friday through Sunday.

“I’m super psyched,” said Weibrecht, who turned in one of the fastest downhill training runs Wednesday on a scaled-back course due to snowy conditions. Michael Walchhofer of Austria had the quickest time Thursday back on the full course.

Weibrecht, a 23-year-old from Lake Placid, N.Y., started his season last weekend at Lake Louise, finishing 12th in both the super-G and the downhill.

A few more performances like that and he may be relinquishing his label.

Ever since his run at Beaver Creek in 2007, Weibrecht has been saddled with the title of “THE American up-and-comer to keep an eye on.”

He’s been fine with that tag — at least he’s mentioned.

Still, Weibrecht would like to be known for more than just one run.

“But I definitely did a lot of things right that day,” he said, laughing.

That’s why whenever he’s in a rut, he turns to the video.

He’ll watch his flowing motion, paying attention to how he set up each section like a calculating chess player. He’ll examine the positioning of his skis that were carving up the snowy slope (besides, of course, that one section where his left one flew out sideways and almost ended his run).

Most of all, he’ll remember that sensation of soaring across the finish line, a wave of exhilaration washing over after he powered down the hill on a day when others were tapping the brakes.

“It really is the only downhill run I’ve had in the last couple of years where there wasn’t a big, glaring mistake that killed all my speed,” said Weibrecht, who crashed on this course last year. “It’s the one that stands out.”

Given the depth of the Americans in the downhill, Weibrecht has his work cut out to earn one of the four spots for the Vancouver Olympics. He will be competing with the likes of Miller, Steven Nyman, Erik Fisher, Scott Macartney and Marco Sullivan.

Another top U.S. downhiller, TJ Lanning, was lost for the season when he crashed at Lake Louise last weekend and fractured a vertebra in his neck and dislocated his left knee.

Weibrecht doesn’t exactly have the classic downhill physique. At 5-foot-6 and 180 pounds, he’s shorter and stockier than most. He insists that compact shape serves him well.

“I can hold better at harder angles and make the ski turn a little quicker, because my center of gravity is lower,” Weibrecht said.

His success is getting noticed.

“His turns are even something I watch,” Olympic champion and U.S. teammate Ted Ligety said. “He’s definitely going to be a guy that’s tough to beat in years to come.”

Consistency, Weibrecht claimed, has been what’s been holding him back.

That’s an issue he feels he resolved during training last summer. He had a confidence-building camp, cutting down on technical mistakes that in years past have cost him valuable fractions of seconds on the clock.

“I just learned to be a little bit smarter,” Weibrecht said. “I’m able to do it run after run rather than one out of five runs.”

That has caught the notice of U.S. Ski Team men’s coach Sasha Rearick, who’s been raving about Weibrecht heading into the season.

“He’s ahead of the curve of where guys should be at his age,” Rearick said.

Especially at Beaver Creek.

“Everything felt like chaos, but I was sort of controlling it a little bit,” Weibrecht recounted of his thrilling run two years ago. “It was the time I put a full run together and showed myself what I was capable of. I go back and check it out. It’s sort of inspiring to me, kind of helps me remember that I can do it.”