The fact that one of America's best freestyle skiers, Ryan St. Onge, didn't earn an Olympic spot at Olympic trials didn't bother him at all.

"These are just warm-ups," he said.

That rare bit of truth-telling may have said it all about the Olympic trials that ended Thursday in Steamboat Springs.

They were a made-for-TV event _ to be aired on NBC via tape-delay this weekend _ that handed out spots to four skiers on the U.S. freestyle team who would have eventually earned them anyway.

Of the four _ Lacy Schnoor, Hannah Kearney, Speedy Peterson and Patrick Deneen _ only Schnoor was anywhere close to the bubble. Skiers such as St. Onge, meanwhile, will almost certainly make the team later thanks to strong results on the World Cup.

Kearney celebrated when she earned her spot, calling it "the only golden ticket" available. But the fact that she already had a first- and third-place finish in the World Cup this season meant there was no scenario that could have kept her off the team when it's announced in late January.

All of which may have left some of the athletes and coaches wondering what they were doing in Steamboat to begin with.

It was a rushed event that meant very little. It may have even put the aerials skiers at risk. They were only four days removed from a brutal, 38-hour journey back to the United States from China, where they fared poorly in the season's first World Cup events.

"Everyone's a little tired and cranky," Peterson said. "Very jet-lagged. Four hours sleep last night, four hours sleep the night before ..."

A total of 12 skiers performed 24 jumps Thursday. Of the 24 jumps, 16 were landed successfully. Among those falling were America's top two women, Emily Cook and Jana Lindsey, who are also favorites to make the team.

"No excuses. No excuses at all," Cook insisted.

But the falls _ and there were others from top skiers on the moguls, as well _ illustrated why Olympic trials are seen far more infrequently for winter sports than for summer sports. Winter sports like to dole out spots based on consistency over the season, not in winner-take-all events, because snow, ice, bumps and hills can be unpredictable.

In fact, had the freestyle team given out three men's and women's spots in moguls and aerials instead of only one, it would have left out Lindsey, Bryon Wilson, Nate Roberts and Heather McPhie: All came in ranked either first or second on the U.S. team.

What made these trials most interesting were the names Jeremy Cota and Ashley Caldwell.