Olympics-Alpine-Last feels better than gold for record-breaker Schleper

By Alan Baldwin

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Sarah Schleper finished 26th and last in Thursday's women's Olympic super-G and said she felt like a gold medallist, or maybe even better.

The 46-year-old American, who has Mexican nationality by marriage and races for her husband's country, became the oldest Alpine skier to compete at an Olympics and also the first Alpine skier to appear at seven Games.

But that was not what made the veteran feel really special.

Her 18-year-old son Lasse Gaxiola is competing in the men's events in Bormio, across the mountains to the west, and the pair are the first mother and son to compete at the same Games.

"I must be like the gold medallist here," the former U.S. ski team member told reporters. "Racing with your son, I guess that's better than a gold medal."

FOUR GAMES WITH THE U.S. TEAM

Schleper, who describes herself as a late bloomer and competed for the United States at four Games, said she had never planned to race at the same Games as her son but it just happened.

"I think the universe lines up to make your life and your path, if you have a lot of passion, more spectacular than you can ever imagine," she said.

While Vail-based Schleper was always in love with ski racing, she recognised it was not as easy for her son - who regularly skied with Americans who had no chance of qualifying for the Olympics yet were faster than him.

"I think he thinks that he's not worthy," she said. "He's like 'maybe they're never going to get to go to the Olympics and I have to go race (Swiss World Cup leader Marco) Odermatt and I'm probably going to be 10 seconds behind him'.

"And that really intimidated him. But I think now he's gotten to see all the other small nations represented and I think that's such a great thing about ski racing."

SON IN SLALOM ON MONDAY

Schleper said she would be leaving Cortina d'Ampezzo right after her giant slalom on Sunday for a five-hour drive to Bormio to watch her son race slalom on Monday.

She admitted he could find her embarrassing company, particularly when she was doing "show-offy" things on the slopes.

"I just annoy the hell out of him," she said. "He's like 'Mom, no, no, no'. He's embarrassed about everything. I was the same with my parents."

As for the future, who knows?

"I think my body could manage it," she said of carrying on for an eighth Games. "I think the super-G is actually, besides the fear factor, one of the easier events for me ... and my points are way better in GS.

"But for me really, the more important thing is to let the younger Mexicans have a shot. So if there's anyone qualified that's younger than me, even if I ski faster than them, I'm letting them go ... that's more important to me than the record.

"But if no one's going to try, I will."