Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 12, 1992 TAG: 9203120133
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JEFF CHRISAFULLI
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The Blacksburg woman and eight teammates will compete against the French national team. They will return home next month to prepare for the U.S. Olympic team trials on the Savage River near McHenry, Md.
But world-class racing may come as a welcome outlet for Bogner after the suspense Monday of getting a flight out of Dulles Airport.
She was unable to reserve a flight because Spain is host to both the Olympics and the World's Fair this year and seats already are hard to get.
She waited on standby, holding her kayak, all day Monday. Finally there was a seat open on the last flight to Spain that night.
Bogner's husband, David, learned late Monday evening that she'd made her plane when Brooke Robertshaw - her friend and training partner who drove her to the airport - called with the good news.
Bogner is the seventh-ranked woman among the nation's whitewater slalom kayakers and placed fourth in the Pre-Olympic Trials in October. Since then, she has been training at the Nantahala River Whitewater Olympic Training Facility in Bryson City, N.C., home of assistant Olympic coach Fritz Haller.
In her last race on the Nantahala, Bogner defeated her closest competitor by 33 seconds, a huge margin.
In whitewater slalom kayaking, competitors maneuver through a series of gates marked by posts in the water. Half the gates must be passed traveling with the current and half against the current. Kayakers missing a gate or touching a post incur penalties.
At 30, Bogner describes herself as a "speed freak." She gained national recognition at 17 when she won the Junior Women's National Slalom Championships. She recently placed fifth at the U.S. Olympic Festival against international competition.
Trainers at the Nantahala River Training Facility say Bogner's times are right up there with the top women vying for spots on the Olympic team. When she returns from Spain next month, she will have a short time to prepare for her biggest test, the Olympic Trials May 15-17.
Bogner has worked at the Center for Behavioral Medicine in Radford, where she helped design exercise rehabilitation programs for patients, but she had to leave the job to train full-time for the Olympics.
Before she went to North Carolina to train, she spent some time searching for sponsors to help with training costs. She recently received a $500 grant from the Women's Sports Foundation, but this covers only a small portion of her expenses.
by CNB