24 conveys the emotions of the time: “Yesterday I was informed that I would not be representing the USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Only two alpine racers where selected to the team – Trapp and AJ Muss – with the rest of the spots going to athletes competing in halfpipe, slopestyle, big air and snowboardcross.īurns’ post to Facebook on Jan. The US Olympic Snowboard Team selected 26 athletes for 10 events. In the end, that didn’t happen in 2018.”īurns and Trapp learned of the US Olympic Committee’s team selection while in between races in Bulgaria. I set out on this journey 5 years ago with the best intentions of going… I was confident in my ability to do so, and I provided my best effort day in and day out to see the Olympics to fruition. “Two years ago, long before any potential Olympic selections were mentioned or talked about, we set out together with a common goal: to snowboard to the best of our ability and go to the Olympics. “The fact that two of my teammates are going, that truly brings me so much joy in spite of my own feelings of disappointment for not going… It’s a testament to our team, our commitment to each other and the support we gave each other throughout this process,” Burns wrote in an email last week.
He traveled with coach Justin Reiter, teammates Mike Trapp and Ester Ledecka of Czech Republic, and wax technician Vinnie Poch. 26 and two 14th place finishes in two days of racing in Pfelders, Italy in early December. His best finishes were 31st in parallel giant slalom in Bansko, Bulgaria on Jan. His fellow SG Snowboard teammate, Mike Trapp of Massachusetts, was one of two American alpine snowboard racers to earn a spot.īurns competed in eight races on the World Cup circuit in December and January in an effort to win an Olympic bid. Shasta alpine snowboard racer Robby Burns returned home from the World Cup racing circuit in late January after learning that he was not named to the US Olympic team.