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Spotlight: Tricia Byrnes, Snowboarder

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Posted: Friday March 12, 1999 12:24 PM

  Look for Byrnes to soar at Stratton Nathan Bilow/Allsport

Born: November 18, 1974, Greenwich, Conn.

Residence: New Canaan, Connecticut

Upcoming Event: U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, March 15-21, Stratton, Vt.

Worth Watching Because: Byrnes is riding at the peak of her career and dominating the World Cup halfpipe tour. She has a good chance to win her event at the U.S. Open, snowboarding's most prestigious competition.

Byrnes has steadily widened her lead in the season-long World Cup halfpipe standings. She has four 1999 World Cup victories -- twice her career total going into this season. Byrnes finished first in three consecutive World Cup events -- in Park City, Utah, as well as Asahikawa and Naeba, Japan. She also took second at the ISF World Championships in late January.

Byrnes' success this season shows that she was not deterred by narrowly failing to qualify for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. In fact, she is stronger and more focused than ever -- and her consistently stellar performance on the 'pipe has made her one of the sports most popular riders. One her of her most challenging moves is the 720-degree spin -- expect her to try this and other acrobatic maneuvers at Stratton.

Greatest Success: Second in 1998 U.S. Open halfpipe.

Quote/Unquote: "If you go into a contest just looking to win, it's no fun. Only one person gets to win each time. The halfpipe is about pushing yourself, not trying to beat someone else."

Cool Fact: Byrnes graduated last spring from St. Michael's College in Vermont with a double major in English and psychology.

Come back soon for a new women's sports Spotlight.

 
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