Sports

Two CT Residents on U.S. Olympic Ski Team

Mac Bohonnon, of Madison, and Eliza Outtrim, of Hamden, are going for gold in Sochi.

Hockey isn't the only sport that Connecticut will be representing in when the Olympics get underway in Sochi on Feb. 6.

In addition to the six members on the men's and women's ice hockey teams, the Nutmeg State is sending two residents to compete for gold in freestyle skiing — Mac Bohonnon, of Madison, and Eliza Outtrim, of Hamden.

They are members of a team that was announced Tuesday, based on results from the International Ski Federation World Cup.

At 18 years old, Bohonnon is the youngest member of the Men's Aerials Team, while Outtrim, 28, is representing on the Women's Moguls Team. 

According to his website, Bohonnon has been dreaming about representing his country in the Winter Olympics as a Freestyle Aerialist since he was 13 years old. He's been skiing since he was 2.

On Sunday, just two days before finding out he made the team, Bohonnon was named International Ski Federation (FIS) Freestyle Rookie of the Year, according to the website SnoCountry.

Then, when he found out he mad the team, he wrote this on his Facebook page:

"Holy cow, dreams do come true. I couldn’t be more excited to say that I’ll get to represent the US in a few short weeks at the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia! This is the most incredible opportunity I could have ever imagined. I can’t thank all of my family, friends, coaches, teammates and everyone in between enough for the unyielding support over the years. Go USA!" he said. 

Outtrim was equally jubilant.

"My Olympic dream has come true!" she wrote on her Facebook page. "I am proud to say that i will be representing the United States of America as a female mogul skier at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Thank you Mom and Dad for your unwavering support, especially in these last couple of weeks. And thank you family, friends, coaches, sponsors, PT's, Doc's, and fans. You know who you are. This is so crazy!!!!!!"

Her profile on the U.S. Ski Team website reads, in part:

"Growing up in Hamden, Outtrim and the family skied often, usually at Mount Snow, Vermont. When Mount Snow started a freestyle program, she was on the first team. 'There were eight or 10 of us, and we'd ski Waterville Valley, Sunday River, sometimes at Killington. It was fun,' she says." 

"She enrolled at Lowell Whitman School in Steamboat, CO and worked through the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club's heralded program. Outtrim kept punching her way up through the NorAms, and when she tied for second in the NorAm moguls standings in 2005, she earned her ticket to the U.S. Ski Team."
 
When to Watch

The 2014 Winter Olympics will be broadcast on NBC, beginning with the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 6. To see when you can catch all the action, visit the NBC Olympics page and type in your ZIP code.


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