Former Olympic aerials champ Valenta retires

By Published On: May 3rd, 2007Comments Off on Former Olympic aerials champ Valenta retires

PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Former Olympic freestyle aerials champion Ales Valenta retired Thursday because of recurring health problems.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Former Olympic freestyle aerials champion Ales Valenta retired Thursday because of recurring health problems.
    Valenta, 34, landed a quintuple-twisting, triple-backflip to win the aerials event at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
    After finishing eighth at the Freestyle World Championships in March, Valenta said he would consider retiring because of back problems. Valenta competed in seven world championships, and he finished fourth in aerials at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

    — The Associated Press

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