Feb 15, 2006 — In Olympic action yesterday, biathlon racer Tim Burke from Paul Smiths finished the 10k sprint in 37th place. Lowell Bailey from Lake Placid ended the day in 48th position. The pair were the only Americans who ranked high enough to qualify for the men's pursuit race scheduled for Saturday. On the sled track, American luge racer Courtney Zablocki missed a bronze medal by less than a 10th of a second. Another slider, Erin Hamlin from Remsen, improved her time and finished the two-day competition in 12th place. Between heats, Brian Mann spoke with Erin's dad Ron, who was watching from trackside.  Go to full article

Feb 14, 2006 — North Country luge racers Samantha Retrosi and Erin Hamlin competed Monday afternoon at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Samantha Retrosi, from Saranac Lake, crashed on her second run and apparently suffered a mild concussion. Erin Hamlin finished in 17th place. Brian Mann spoke a few minutes ago with Nancie Battaglia from Lake Placid, our correspondent in Turin. She was trackside when Samantha lost control of her sled.  Go to full article

Feb 14, 2006 — Sunday was Erin Hamlin day in her hometown of Remsen. A letter to her mother was read at church. Erin Hamlin came in 17th in yesterday's luge runs. The final two runs come today. Back in Remsen, they're just sorry they didn't get to see her live on TV yesterday.  Go to full article

Feb 13, 2006 — Three local athletes have competed so far in Italy. In the men's 20 km biathlon race on Saturday, Lowell Bailey from Lake Placid finished in 27th place. The event mixes cross country skiing and target shooting. Tim Burke from Lake Placid finished 58th. Both men will compete again later in the week. Bill DeMong from Vermontville finished 15th in his first Nordic combined event on Saturday. The sport is a mix of ski jumping and cross-country skiing. He, too, has more races to come later in the week. Brian Mann checked in with Nancie Battaglia, a free lance photographer from Lake Placid who's covering the Turin Winter Games. Nancie was at the sled track in midst of yesterday's races.  Go to full article

Feb 13, 2006 — The Winter Olympics are underway in Turin, Italy. The week began with more terrible news for the Lake Placid-based US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation. Martha Foley reports.  Go to full article

Feb 10, 2006 — The Winter Olympics open in Turin, Italy tonight. To get you in the mood, here's an adrenaline-inducing Heard Up North, from Lake Placid's Olympic bobsled track. David Sommerstein takes the piloting rings and his wife, Lisa Lazenby, handles the brakes for a wild bobsled ride.  Go to full article

Feb 06, 2006 — The Lake Placid based U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation has fired head coach Tim Nardiello. Nardiello was dismissed Friday after he traveled to Switzerland last week, hoping to coach skeleton sled racers as they prepare for this week's opening of the Winter Olympics. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Feb 02, 2006 — The Winter Olympics open next week in Turin, Italy. More than a dozen north country athletes will be competing in everything from men's hockey to biathlon.

Nancy Battaglia is a freelance photographer who will be covering the games for North Country Public Radio. She leaves for Italy on Sunday.  Go to full article

Jan 25, 2006 — The US Olympic Committee says Lake Placid skeleton coach Tim Nardiello won't be allowed to coach the American sled team at next month's Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The decision effectively reversed the ruling of an independent arbitrator, who had ruled that sexual harassment charges against Nardiello were unsubstantiated. As Brian Mann reports, Olympic officials were also harshly critical of the Lake Placid based US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation  Go to full article

Jan 24, 2006 — An arbitrator in Albany says Lake Placid Olympic coach Tim Nardiello should be allowed to return to his job with the U.S. Skeleton team. The decision found no evidence that Nardiello sexually harassed women athletes. As Brian Mann reports, the decision could clear the way for Nardiello to coach the team at next month's Olympic games in Italy.  Go to full article