Marco Trovati, Associated Press Lindsey Kildow of the United States slaloms past a pole in a women?s alpine ski event. Click photo for larger image. Road to Turin 2006 Winter Olympics Opening ceremonies: When: 8 p.m. TV: WPXI Of note: Competition continues through Feb. 26. Key finals: Men's hockey, Feb. 26; Men's figure skating, Feb. 17; Women's figure skating, Feb. 24; Downhill, Feb. 14 (men) -- Feb. 17 (women). Related articles Olympic Notebook: American curler slides in as the oldest competitor Winter sports: Flu fails to hinder Kostelic in slalom event

Cross-country skier Kris Freeman is quick to offer a reason for his 22nd-place finish in his signature race, the 15-kilometer classic, at the 2002 Olympics.

"In '02, I was only 21," he said. "In this sport you reach your peak around 30. I'm a lot more experienced now. Technique evolves every year. I feel like I'm no longer copying anyone. I'm innovating. I have that confidence.

"This time around, I won't be happy unless I come home with a medal."

Just about any cross-country skier might offer a similar explanation.

Freeman, 25, could add that he had surgery on both legs in the year before the 2002 Games, or that he was 15th there in the pursuit and part of the 4X10K relay that finished fifth, the best showing by a U.S. team in that event at the Olympics.

Or that since that Olympics he has posted the best results of any United States cross-country skier in a couple of decades, including the first under-23 championship in 2003, a fourth-place finish in the 2003 world championships and, since then, two top-six results.

That makes Freeman a U.S. athlete to watch at the 2006 Olympics, which begin with Friday's opening ceremony in Turin, Italy.

None of that would tell the whole story about Freeman, though.

He was diagnosed in 2000 with Type I diabetes, and doctors suggested he should no longer strive to be an elite athlete.

He refused that advice.

Freeman grew up in New Hampshire, where he was on cross-country skis as soon as he could walk and started racing at age 5. By 15, he was the junior national champion in Nordic combined, which pairs cross-country skiing with ski jumping.

Instead of letting diabetes end a lifelong career, Freeman went to work on learning how to manage the disease, something other athletes have done.

Three-time Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. and Gonzaga basketball player Adam Morrison are diabetic. Locally, offensive lineman Kendall Simmons has had diabetes since he has been with the Steelers, and former Pitt defensive lineman Dan Stephens managed the disease while playing.

Freeman believes he's the only high-level athlete in an endurance sport dealing with diabetes.

"It's all about preparation," said Freeman, who uses fast-acting insulin and injects himself several times a day.

Leading up to a race, he eats the same breakfast a few days in a row so he has a good idea how much insulin he needs. He also keeps charts of his glucose intake and keeps track of how diet and variables such as altitude affect him. He even uses relaxation techniques because nervousness can affect his blood sugar.

On race day, he tests his blood before breakfast and then perhaps a half-dozen times before the start of the race.

"I make sure it's perfect when I start the race," he said.

Unless he's in the longer 30k, when he has to take in a sports drink, he's usually OK until after the race.

Freeman accepts that he has something more to think about than those he races against.

"I certainly have more to deal with," he said. "There's a lot of stress in skiing to begin with -- travel, ski wax, a million different stresses.

"It's just a stress I have to deal with."