U.S. team enters 2010 Paralympics in underdog role

Chris Devlin-Young celebrated at the 2002 Paralympics, thrilled that the U.S. dominated Alpine skiing but disappointed the Americans weren't pushed in winning 37 medals.He yearned for more competition. He wanted faster times. He demanded a trickier course."Be careful what you wish for," Devlin-Young said.His wholehearted call to arms turned into a humbling wakeup call in 2006, when the United States was overmatched against European sleeping giants, and the Americans are now preparing for the 2010 Paralympics in the unfamiliar role of underdogs.Austria flexed its muscle with 14 medals in Turin, Italy, benefiting from the International Paralympic Committee's decision to reduce the number of Alpine disciplines. France and Germany won 11 medals apiece, and the U.S. tied for fourth with Italy with eight medals.Chances are Canada, which claimed five medals in Turin, will be improved in Vancouver after setting the pace with 16 medals at the world championships in February. Same goes for Japan, Slovakia and Australia."The gap has narrowed," said Tyler Walker, a 2006 Paralympian. "Five or 10 years ago, if you were a really good skier, you could fall or make a big mistake and still win or get top three. You can't do that anymore.""We got exactly what we asked for," Devlin-Young added. "It's really difficult now. Our job is definitely much harder."