DOWNHILL WOMEN'S: STREET 16TH IN FINAL OLYMPIC RACE FRANCE'S MONTILLET WINS GOLD IN TRIBUTE TO COUNTRYWOMAN.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

SNOW BASIN, Utah - Picabo Street said goodbye without a medal, but she definitely went home a champion.

Street, the most recognizable name in American skiing, was hoping to become the sport's first U.S. woman to win three Olympic medals when she took the final run of her career Tuesday in the downhill.

Instead, she finished 16th, behind teammates Jonna Mendes (11th) and Kirsten Clark (12th).

Carole Montillet of France, who had never won a World Cup downhill event, surprised the field by taking the gold medal with a time of 1 minute, 39.56 seconds.

But it was Street, sidelined almost two years due to injuries after winning the Super-G at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, who brought out the overflow crowd of nearly 25,000.

``This is the best day in my ski racing career and it's because of you. Thank you,'' she said after blowing kisses to her adoring fans. ``Thanks Mom and Dad, you always supported me. You waited for that phone call at 4 o'clock in the morning. And you won't have to wait anymore, because I'll be home.'''

Under a brilliant sun and gusty winds that postponed the women's downhill one day, Street, 30, got off to a good start at the top of the run but struggled through the middle part of the course. When the race was finished, Street stared at the scoreboard and bowed her head, knowing it wasn't good enough.

``I was very confident going in, very aggressive and not afraid of anything,'' she said. ''I was just working on some technical things I needed to do and maybe I forgot to go for it a little.''

It also was an emotional day for Montillet, who dedicated her victory to Regine Cavagnoud, the top skier on the French team who was killed in a racing accident this season.

The pressure to replace Cavagnoud, who would have been the favorite for Tuesday's race, had been overwhelming at times for Montillet.

In the days leading to the Olympics, Montillet, 28, left the team and flew to San Diego to get away from questions about Cavagnoud.

On Tuesday, she had all the answers. Three days after carrying the French flag in the opening ceremonies, Montillet defeated silver medalist Isolde Kostner by of Italy by .45 seconds and bronze medalist Renate Goetschl by .83.

``I still think of Regine Cavagnoud and I will continue to do so,'' Montillet said. ``She will always be in my heart and on my mind. Today, I found the speed in my heart. I don't know if I made mistakes, but I wanted to go fast.''

Although Street's final day did not end in triumph, her career soon will not be forgotten.

The winner of nine World Cup races, Street took a silver medal in the downhill at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

But she was much more than great races.

Street's signature ponytail was sprinkled Tuesday with red, white and blue. After realizing she wasn't going to win, she grabbed a microphone and thanked the crowd for their support.

She had come back in 1998 to win the gold in the Super-G after a lengthy rehabilitation from knee surgery.

Injuries quickly returned, including a broken left leg and mangled right knee that required six operations to repair.

During her time away, Street wrote a book about overcoming her adversity. She said now that she is retired she might write another.

Street said she considered retirement during the recovery, but with the 2002 Winter Games at home in Utah, she gave it one last ride.

For the rest of the Games, Street said, she will watch some hockey and attend the women's figure skating.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Picabo Street gestures after her run in the women's downhill Tuesday. Street finished in 16th place.

(2) Picabo Street announces her retirement at a news conference.

Peter Dejong/Associated Press