Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Oldest Olympian Tralnberg gets into the act
By TERRY JONES -- Sun Media
SALT LAKE CITY-- Canada's oldest Olympian is now legit.
He didn't exactly wow 'em like Canada's youngest Olympian, moguls skier 18-year-old Jennifer Heil, but 45-year-old curler Ken Tralnberg is in the books. He's competed.
Tralnberg subbed in for the sixth end, threw his first shot through the house and his second shot back eight as Canada gave up two in the sixth end to Finland.
But already down 9-2 at the time, the Finns decided to call it a game and left Tralnberg's Olympic experience to one end. Canada won 9-4.
Now if he can just find Heil so he can get an oldest-youngest Olympian picture with her here. Not that they couldn't get it taken back home. Tralnberg is from Edmonton. Heil is from Spruce Grove.
"I haven't been able to find her,'' said the fifth man on Kevin Martin's curling team. "She's young, but they all look young to me.''
The win left Martin with a 3-0 record to keep the Canadians undefeated streak alive at the Olympics.
Rookie Carter Rycroft curled 94 per cent for Canada in the match in which the Canadians scored two on the first end, donated them back in the second, cracked three in the third and then stole two on each of the following two ends against Markku Uusipaavalniemi.
But Tralnberg was the man of the moment despite the fact he officially curled 25 per cent with his two shots.
"I guess it made it official. I'm an Olympian,'' laughed the oldster who played two years as Martin's second in the early '90s.
"We were up 9-2. They wanted to get me into the Olympics and get that out of the way. With my first shot, I was worried about coming up short. I threw it in the hack. I really enjoyed the experience. I'm officially in the Olympics.''
It was eight months ago he was told he'd have this chance.
"I got a call in June,'' he said.
"It was Don Bartlett who called me one day and asked me to give it some thought. I said: 'I have. Yes!'
"I started the whole adventure with them, going to the gym, throwing all those rocks in practice. I played one game in Gander, Newfoundland.''
Tralnberg has spent a lot of time in his sport, but he said nothing can match those two so-so rocks he threw yesterday.
"That's the highlight. It's the Olympics. It's the highlight of any athlete's life.''
2002 Games Curling Coverage
