If he and his ex-girlfriend hadn't gotten sleepy on a drive to Vermont four years ago, Eric Bernotas wouldn't be on the cusp of becoming an Olympian.

They were driving along the Adirondack Northway on a December night, stopping at a rest area when their eyes became too tired to continue. The next morning, Bernotas' travel companion noticed how close they were to Lake Placid, N.Y., and suggested visiting the Olympic Village. He grudgingly agreed. Their first stop: The sliding track at Mount Van Hoevenberg. And his life immediately changed.

"To be honest, I wasn't really all that excited about checking out this place when I got here. I kind of got into a low point that day," Bernotas said. "And then it just seemed like something I needed to do."

Two weeks later, he gave up his stone masonry career in Pennsylvania and moved to Lake Placid. And yesterday, by winning a World Cup race there for the second consecutive year, Bernotas took a major step toward securing a spot on the 2006 Olympic team.

His winning time in a controversy-tinged day was 55.42 seconds. Race officials shortened the competition from two runs to one after heavy snow piled in the start area during the first heat -- which was ultimately scrubbed.

That took a track record away from Zach Lund of the United States.

Canada's Paul Boehm finished second. Lund took third for his second consecutive World Cup podium finish, and assumed the overall series points lead over Switzerland's Gregor Staehli.

Lund was poised for his first World Cup win after the opening run; his time of 54.64 seconds was 0.14 seconds ahead of Canada's Jeff Pain, and no one else was within another half-second of that duo.

But that heat was canceled after several teams appealed, upset that snowblowing machines were put into use midway through the heat. So the times for all sliders were wiped out.

Figure skating

Sasha Cohen returns to competition in the Trophee Bompard in Paris this weekend against two skaters who have performed triple axels and a former world champion.

Don't expect the two-time world silver medalist to be intimidated. After looking strong in winning a pro-am at St. Paul, Minn., in early October, Cohen injured her hip and abdominal muscles and withdrew from Skate America later that month.

The 21-year-old from Corona Del Mar, Calif., says she is now fit and has been in Paris for almost a week preparing to compete in the Trophee Bompard, the fourth event of the International Skating Union's six-part Grand Prix series.

Elsewhere

Austria's mighty ski team was dealt another blow when Christoph Kronberger's ankle was broken.

Kronberger, 23, injured Wednesday in Canada, is Austria's second downhiller to be sidelined. In August, Werner Franz broke his leg and was facing amputation following an infection.