JAPAN AT THE OLYMPICS: Snowboard: Japan's magician casts spell on French

Vancouver (AFP) - France's Olympic Games snowboard gold medal hopeful Pierre Vaultier has fallen under the spell of Japanese coach Takahiro Kashiwazaki, a man known as 'The Magician.' "A magician? I hope so," smiled the 37-year-old Kashiwazaki who hopes to inspire Vaultier to the snowboard cross title. The Japanese rider first came into contact with the French team in 2003 when he started working with Xavier De Le Rue, who was competing in a tournament in Japan. The following year, Vaultier asked for his help during a World Cup event at Niigata. It was a partnership which bore instant fruit with a win for the man from the Pyrenees. Such is his dedication to the sport that Kashiwazaki has spent a lifetime studying snow conditions and courses, anything that help give him and his charges an edge. "I have spent almost 20 years trying different products. I feel the snow," he said. "The slope and speed are different for each rider just as the snow is different. "By looking at the snow and the tracks, I know each ride." His work with Vaultier has been impressive and radical. At a World Cup race in Stoneham, Canada, in January, most of the riders based their preparation on temperature and atmosphere, but Kashiwazaki opted for a stronger wax to cater for the slope that wasn't too steep. "He is going to win at the Olympics," said Kashiwazaki of Vaultier. "I promise you that. Nobody can stop him."

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