Torin Koos of Leavenworth made the U.S. roster again making a likely candidate to make his third Olympic team in January.

From the U.S. Ski Team:

World Championship silver medalist Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK), along with World Cup sprint medalist Andy Newell (Shaftsburry, VT), Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) and three-time U.S. champion Liz Stephen (East Montelier, VT) are among the athletes headlining the newly named 2010 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.

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From the U.S. Ski Team

Life's not exactly a beach for the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes who are stationed in San Diego this week for one of the most intense training camps of their season.

"We came down here to get our skiers out of their element in the mountains," U.S. Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles said. "We've been doing beach workouts every day. We try to keep everyone moving. We have stuff going on from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., so it's fairly grueling, really intense and it's a good way to get our prep season kicked off."

Among the athletes at the camp are World Championship bronze medalist Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and 2002 Olympic silver medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA).

"We're basically getting whipped into shape. We're learning some technique in the gym, we're doing core workouts, we're running on the track and then we're doing workouts at the beach that involve running in and out of the water with and without surfboards," Kearney said. "I'm not exactly what you'd call a beach person, but it's a really good way to mix up the training and get a good tan at the same time."

For Bahrke, a California native, training in her home state is a great way to get back into the swing of things.

"This is our first camp and we're really trying to get back into it. We've been doing a lot of different things," Bahrke said. "I'm a Cali girl, so I love being down here. It's beautiful, the sun is shining and it's a really good vibe down here."

The camp involves some of the most intense training the athletes will endure throughout their season. The intensity serves as a foundation for the athletes remaining in consistently good shape as they gear up for 2010.

"Every day I fall asleep within two seconds of my head hitting my pillow. Everything we've been doing is really hard. There have been no easy workouts," Bahrke said.

"In a lot of ways this is a little unorthodox compared to what we usually do, but I think that's one of the main reasons we do it," Rawles added. "It's good to get the athletes into different situations that they might not have been in before because in our sport we're always dealing with different situations so this helps them prepare for that."

Athletes who live away from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's Center of Excellence training facility and the supervision of the Team's trainer will be able to take the workout plans and fundamental skills they developed in San Diego and use them from their homes across the U.S.

"Living in Vermont I don't get to work with Alex [Moore, Team trainer] very often except for over the Internet. It's really good getting some face time. He makes us work harder than we would alone. It's a really good way to start the off season," Kearney said.

The moguls athletes will remain in San Diego through the weekend before returning to their personal training schedules.

OK, tickets have been on sale since 11:30 a.m. and all 40,000 are almost gone.

All that's left are closing ceremony and hockey. The best tickets left appear to be for the bronze medal match in the women's hockey. They are going for$135-265.

Log on to cosport.com to buy tickets

Cosport.com just posted this message

We are updating the website. Please note Phase II Ticket Sales will start at approximately 2:30 PM US EST on www.cosport.com.

Yes, the cosport.com website is currently offline, but don't panic. The website is expected to be back online by 11 a.m. when Phase II of ticket sales begin. The website is the only place to buy tickets.

The 2010 Winter Olympics are still eight months away, but the real competition starts this morning.

Starting at 11 a.m. Thursday sports fans from North America, Europe and Australia will logon to their computers for a chance to buy some of the 40,000 tickets available.

New Jersey-based cosport.com will handle the sales, the final major ticket offering.

Tickets will only be available for sale online to those who registered on the website before 6 a.m. Click here to register.

The Olympics are Feb. 10-28 in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C, the closest the games have ever been to the Puget Sound area.

Here are more details about ticket sales:

Ticket deadline: Cosport.com officials did not respond to an interview request, but its ticket agents say it is best start trying to buy tickets at 11 a.m. There is not a ticket lottery like the Phase I. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Sales continue until tickets are sold out.

Prices: Tickets range in price from $34 for cross country skiing and biathlon to $1,294 for the Opening Ceremonies.

Hot tickets: Hockey tickets range from $61 for the USA-China women’s match to $930 for the men’s gold medal match. Figure skating tickets are $202 to $650. Opening ceremony tickets start at $678.

Limit: 48 tickets per customer.
Sports available: Tickets are available for all sports. Tickets for medal ceremonies are not available.

More information:
cosport.com

Leave it to Sasha Cohen to spice things up.

The Olympic silver medalist confirmed Wednesday she is returning to competitive figure skating in hopes of earning a spot at the Vancouver Games. She has submitted paperwork to U.S. Figure Skating that would enable her to compete at Grand Prix events this fall.

“I’ve been excited,” Cohen told The Associated Press by phone from Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she is touring with Stars on Ice. “Every day it’s closer and real, so it’s very exciting to me.”

=> Read more!

From VANOC:

Tickets for the Opening Ceremony and five sports (64 medal events!) of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games go on sale tomorrow – May 6, 2009 at 10:00 am (Pacific Time) on a first-come, first-served basis.

=> Read more!