When the weekend began, just one-third of the 18 Olympic slots had been filled by members of the U.S. freestyle skiing team.

Although the entire squad won't be nominated until Tuesday, the roster picks have been made a lot easier for team officials after four days of World Cup competition against much of the same international field that will be in Vancouver next month.

But the sorting-out process also includes the sobering realization that the path to the podium, in some cases, is blocked by juggernauts.

First, the good news. Moguls veterans, such as 2006 Olympian Hannah Kearney, ranked No. 3 in the world, and 2002 silver medalist Shannon Barhke (No.4) are likely to join relative newcomer Heather McPhie, (No. 2) who secured a spot at team trials late last year in Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Michelle Roark, the reigning U.S. champion and 2006 Olympian.

"I really want to be a three-time Olympian," said Bahrke, who will retire after this season at the age of 29. "Being on the podium never gets old."

But the road to the top of the podium is guarded by Canada's Jennifer Heil, the reigning Olympic champion and World Cup overall leader, who did not compete here to avoid an injury.

Next, the OK news. Patrick Deneen is the reigning world champion in moguls and earned his Vancouver slot by winning team trials. But he has struggled this season, including in Lake Placid, and sits in 14th place in the world standings. He'll most likely be joined by Mike Morse, ranked sixth in the world, and Bryon Wilson (No. 21). The fourth spot will probably go to 2005 world champion Nate Roberts, who crashed twice a week earlier and sat out the Lake Placid event.

When it comes to the men's aerials team, the outlook is a little murkier.

Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, a two-time Olympian, won a spot at team trials but has looked shaky at his last two events, failing to land his signature jump — the Hurricane — a five-twist, three-flip jump with the highest degree of difficulty. Ryan St. Onge, the defending world champion and a 2006 Olympian, is ranked outside the top 20.

Neither Olympic veteran performed in Lake Placid at a level that would inspire confidence. St. Onge finished 23rd out of 38 competitors when he fell backward on his landing and failed to make it out of the qualifying round.

"I don't take anything for granted, but if I do make the Olympic team I couldn't be more confident in my abilities right now," said St. Onge, who lacks a top-10 World Cup finish this season.

Peterson also put a happy face on his performance.

"I didn't think it was that bad of a job," said Peterson, who finished 10th. "I'm 99.9 percent of where I want to be."

It may fall to Dylan Ferguson, ranked 14th in the world, to make a run at the podium. Based on his performance in Lake Placid, the fourth spot could go to Scotty Bahrke, younger brother of Shannon.

The women's aerial team is even less settled and will face a daunting task of trying to best the Chinese team, which has the top three athletes. Right behind them is Australian Lydia Lassila, who won here Friday night for her second consecutive World Cup victory and seems to have all the confidence in the world.

"The jumps I do are good enough to win. I have another jump up my sleeve and even another one if I need to so I have a lot of room to play here," Lassila said. "I'm not going to be stepping down, so it's game on, I think."

Lacy Schnoor (No. 13) won her berth at team trials, and it is expected that Emily Cook will be going to her second Olympics despite the fact that she sat out the last two World Cup events to nurse a bruised heel. The top-ranked American woman in 2002, Cook missed the Winter Games when she broke both feet jumping in Lake Placid two weeks before the Opening Ceremony. After multiple surgeries and a long period of rehabilitation, Cook finished 19th in Turin in 2006.

"It was worth the risk to sit them out and let my other results speak for my qualifications," said Cook of her strategy. "It's not a big deal. It's the big show that's important to me this year."

Jana Lindsey assured herself of a spot with an eighth-place finish here when none of her teammates could better her World Cup point total that included a fourth-place finish at the season opener in China. In only her third World Cup, relative newcomer Ashley Caldwell finished in 13th place here to make a strong case to be included.

That leaves just two slots for ski cross, which will make its Olympic debut next month. Here, the focus is on two former alpine skiers. Casey Puckett, a four-time Olympian and ranked 10th in the world, is still recovering from a separated shoulder. Behind him is Daron Rahlves, a three-time Olympian who finished fourth Sunday despite skipping the last three World Cups.

If team officials are confident Puckett can compete, U.S. women may be shut out of the Winter Games.