BILL JOHNSON UPDATE

BIG MOUNTAIN, Mont. (Mar. 22) - Olympic champion Bill Johnson remains in
extremely critical but stable condition following surgery for injuries
suffered in an accident at the Chevy Truck U.S. Alpine Championships
Thursday at The Big Mountain in Montana. Johnson, the 1984 Olympic
downhill champion, underwent surgery at Kalispell Regional Medical
Center for head trauma.

Johnson, who has been in a season-long comeback bid, was navigating a
right turn through a section of course known as the Corkscrew, when he
lost control and impacted the snow hard before sliding through
protective fencing. He was treated at the scene for head trauma and
transported by Alert medical helicopter to Kalispell
Regional Medical Center, about 20 miles south.

According to Dr. Keith Lara, director of emergency medical services at
the hospital, Johnson suffered a subdural hematoma and diffused swelling
of the brain. "The fortunate thing is that Dr. (Rob) Hollis was able to
perform tne neurological surgery quickly. Now it's just a matter of God
and time. He's extremely critical, but
neurologically stable at this time."

Upon arrival at the hospital, doctors worked to stabilize his airway and
performed a CT scan before he went into surgery shortly after noon. The
neurological surgery, which involved draining blood from his head and
left lung, was completed around 4:00 p.m. Additional surgery continued
for lacerations on his tongue. He also
suffered lacerations to his arms and legs.

The accident occured shortly before 10 a.m. MST. Johnson went into
surgery shortly after noon, and was still in surgery at 3:30 p.m. He is
under the care of neurosurgeon Dr. Rob Hollis.

Johnson won three World Cup downhills and the Olympic gold in 1984. He
continued racing until retiring after the 1989 season. He started his
racing comeback in November, and has been racing on the Nor Am circuit
in the United States and Canada for five months. He had skied the Big
Mountain course the previous two days in official training.

Thursday's accident came in a non-championship event. The first official
championship event is scheduled for Friday.