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Erik Fisher and Hailey Duke are one step closer to becoming Olympic skiers.
Both Treasure Valley athletes were selected to the United States alpine team, announced Tuesday in Park City, Utah. The upcoming racing season includes a February stop for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.
Fisher, 24, made the "A'' team for the first time. The downhill specialist finished second at the U.S. Championships in Alaska in March, and had a World Cup-best finish of seventh in Italy in December.
Fisher finished 29th in the world rankings after the 2008-09 season.
"I'm definitely trying to make the Olympics,'' he said. "More than that, we have World Cup races all year and I have to stay focused on those, then good things will happen.''
Skiers on the U.S. team receive coaching, funding and support. The U.S. will announce its Olympic roster in January.
"It's definitely exciting - it's the first time in my career I have a shot to go for the Olympics,'' Duke said Tuesday night while in Boise. "It's going to be hard work. I definitely need to do what I need to do, but it's looking better than it ever has.''
Duke, 23, was selected to the "B'' team for the second straight year based on her world ranking after the 2008-09 season - 27th in the slalom.
Two-time World Cup overall champion Lindsey Vonn, and Olympic gold medalists Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety lead the U.S. team.
Morgan Arritola of Ketchum, a former Boise resident, is on the women's cross country "A'' team.
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