Johnson Fails to Make U.S. Olympic Ski Team

CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. —  There will be no “Guts and Glory II” in the 1988 Winter Games. The Bill Johnson Story ended here Wednesday when the U.S. Olympic Alpine ski team was named.

Johnson, the downhill gold medalist in the 1984 Olympics, was notably absent from the roster of 18 racers who will compete at Calgary starting Feb. 13.

“It’s always tough to select a team when the numbers are tight,” said Harald Schoenhaar, Alpine program director. “Bill had the same chances as everyone else to make the Olympic team. He would have been a member if his point profile or results had earned him a place.

“Bill will never admit that he was seriously injured last year. I’m not sure he is 100% honest with himself or the people around him. I think he still has troubles with his back.”

Johnson, who has been unable to come back completely from surgery on both his left knee and back, performed just a month apart slightly more than a year ago, received some early warning last weekend when Schoenhaar called his chances of making the team “almost nil.”

Schoenhaar said Wednesday: “I’ve always supported him very strongly. We all feel sorry for Bill, but if you take results from this year or last, Bill is the sixth or seventh man on the team. His point profile is not good enough to put him among the downhillers.”

Each nation is allowed to enter only four racers in each Olympic event.

The U.S. downhill contingent will be composed of Doug Lewis, 24, of Burlington, Vt.; Jeff Olson, 22, of Bozeman, Mont.; Bill Hudson, 21, of Olympic Valley, Calif.; and A.J. Kitt, 19, of Rochester, N.Y.

The other five men, who will ski at Calgary in the slalom events, are Felix McGrath, 24, of Norwich, Vt.; Tiger Shaw, 26, of Stowe, Vt.; Bob Ormsby, 24, of Tahoe City, Calif.; Alexander Williams, 24, of Rochester, N.Y.; and Jack Miller, 22, of Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Tamara McKinney, who has been training on her own since a hairline fracture in her left leg healed, heads the women’s squad for the Games.

McKinney, 25, of Olympic Valley, Calif., won the women’s World Cup in 1983 and, according to Schoenhaar, continues to have the highest point profile among the women. She earned her place despite not having raced this winter.

Joining McKinney are Debbie Armstrong, 24, of Seattle, the 1984 Olympic giant slalom champion, who has also been slowed by injuries this season; Pam Fletcher, 25, of Acton, Mass.; Hilary Lindh, 18, of Juneau, Alaska; Diann Roffe, 20, of Williamson, N.Y.; Beth Madsen, 23, of Aspen, Colo.; Edith Thys, 21, of Olympic Valley, Calif.; Heidi Voelker, 18, of Pittsfield, Mass., and Kristin Krone, 19, of Truckee, Calif.