 Poster: A snowHead
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This is a BOA update as to what is happening over the next couple of days
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Team GB’s athletes will compete in another full day of action at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on Saturday, inspired by the gold medal exploits of Amy Williams in the skeleton on Friday.
Chemmy Alcott, who has already achieved two top-13 finishes in Whistler will compete in the super-G, while John Jackson and Dan Money will hope to bring further joy to Team GB from the Whistler Sliding Centre as they compete in the first two runs of the men’s two-man bobsleigh competition.
The Vancouver Olympic Centre will see another packed schedule as Team GB’s men’s curlers take on China in the morning and arch rivals Canada in the evening, while the women face USA in between.
Nineteen-year-old short track speed skater Elise Christie will look to replicate the form that earner her a silver medal at last month’s European Championships when she competes for Team GB in the women’s 1500m at the Pacific Coliseum.
Sarah Ainsworth from Essex will make her Olympic debut in the spectacular women’s aerials competition on Cypress Mountain, while Andrew Musgrave goes for Team GB in the cross country skiing 30km pursuit. |
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Team GB In Action – Saturday, February 20
Alpine Skiing; Whistler Creekside
Chemmy Alcott
Ladies Super-G
10:00 a.m.
Bobsleigh; Whistler Sliding Centre
John Jackson and Dan Money
Men's Two-Man Heats 1 and 2
5:00 p.m.
Cross-Country Skiing; Cross-Country Skiing Stadium
Andrew Musgrave
Men's 30 km Pursuit
1:30 p.m.
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Men's Round Robin Session 7
Team GB vs. China
9:00 a.m.
Women's Round Robin Session 7
Team GB vs. USA
2:00 p.m.
Men's Round Robin Session 8
Team GB vs. Canada
7:00 p.m.
Freestyle Skiing; Freestyle Skiing Stadium
Sarah Ainsworth
Women's Aerials
10:00 a.m. - Qualification Jump 1
10:51 a.m. - Qualification Jump 2
Short Track Speed Skating; Pacific Coliseum
Elise Christie
Women's 1500 meters
5:45 p.m. - Qualification Heats
6:58 p.m. - Semifinal Heats
7:51 p.m. - B Final
7:56 p.m. A Final
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Team GB In Action – Sunday 21st February
Alpine Skiing; Whistler Creekside
Ed Drake
Men’s Super Combined
9:30am – Downhill
12:30pm – Slalom
Bobsleigh; Whistler Sliding Centre
John Jackson and Dan Money
Men's Two-Man Heats 3 and 4
1:30pm
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Women's Competition
Team GB vs. Switzerland
9:00 a.m.
Men's Competition
Team GB vs. USA
2:00 p.m.
Figure skating; Pacific Coliseum
Ice Dance, Original Dance
Sinead and John Kerr; Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland
4.15pm |
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dwarf Vader, You's da man!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Preview Sunday 21st
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John and Sinead Kerr, and Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland compete in the second element of the ice dancing competition at the Pacific Coliseum. Both British pairs are coached by Russian double Olympic Champion Evgeny Platov and claim to have ‘crowd pleasing’ routines up their sleeves.
In Whistler, Team GB’s Ed Drake will compete in the super combined, which is his third event of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Drake placed 38th on his Olympic debut in the downhill on Monday and was 32nd in the super-G on Friday.
Team GB’s men’s and women’s curlers are both in action and looking to take a step towards qualification for the semi-finals. The women face Switzerland in the morning, before the men take on USA in the afternoon.
Meanwhile World Champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke continue their training runs at the Whistler Sliding Centre ahead of the women’s bobsleigh competition, which begins on Tuesday.
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Team GB In Action – Sunday 21st February
Alpine Skiing; Whistler Creekside
Ed Drake
Men’s Super Combined
9:30am – Downhill
12:30pm – Slalom
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Women's Competition
Team GB vs. Switzerland
9:00 a.m.
Men's Competition
Team GB vs. USA
2:00 p.m.
Figure skating; Pacific Coliseum
Ice Dance, Original Dance
Sinead and John Kerr; Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland
4.15pm |
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Team GB In Action – Monday 22nd February
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Women's Competition
Team GB vs. Denmark
2:00 p.m.
Men's Competition
Team GB vs Germany
7:00 p.m.
Figure skating; Pacific Coliseum
Ice Dance, Free Dance
Sinead and John Kerr; Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland
4.45pm |
Review Saturday 20th
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Team GB’s men’s curlers (Dave Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Pete Smith and Euan Byres) faced China this morning in the first of two important games. They did not disappoint and patiently turned the screws on China to win 9-4 after nine ends. In the evening match Team GB just missed out on overcoming hosts Canada, eventually slipping to a 6-7 defeat in a fascinating match.
In another close encounter, Team GB’s women’s curlers agonisingly lost 5-6 to USA in an extra end, despite having had opportunities with last stone advantage in both the 10th and 11th ends to win the game. Team GB have now won three and lost three matches.
Chemmy Alcott finished 20th in today’s super-G, which was her third event of her third Games – and she has two further events ahead of her, the giant slalom on Wednesday (24 February) and the slalom on Friday (26 February). Alcott, from London, said she enjoyed the race on what was a challenging Whistler Creekside course.
Teenager Andrew Musgrave finished 51st in the cross-country skiing 30km pursuit at Vancouver 2010 today. The 19-year-old Team GB athlete from Aberdeenshire, was 54th after the 15km classic stage of the event but climbed up the field in the freestyle element. His time of one hour 24 minutes 7.9 seconds meant he crossed the finish line eight minutes 56.5 seconds behind race winner Marcus Hellner from Sweden. On Monday Musgrave joins forces with 17-year-old Andrew Young, also from Aberdeenshire, in the team sprint.
Team GB’s Sarah Ainsworth finished 22nd in the freestyle skiing women’s aerials competition with a score of 105.36. The 24-year-old Olympic debutant was happy with her form in the air but was unable to land either qualification jump cleanly.
European silver medallist Elise Christie, aged 19, finished fourth in her qualification heat of the women's 1500m in short track speed skating, narrowly missing out on advancing to the next round of the competition.
Christie said she will ‘come back and fight hard in the 1000m,’on Thursday, promising to ‘take what I've learned from my first races and use it there.’
Team GB’s two-man bobsleigh consisting of John Jackson and Dan Money were one of a handful of teams unable to complete the course as they suffered a crash. Both athletes emerged without serious harm and will now focus their attention on competing in the four-man competition, which gets underway on Friday.
Golden Girl Amy Inspires Teammates
Nicola Minichiello, women’s bobsleigh:
"Amy's win was absolutely amazing. We had to watch it on TV because we were practising late last night but it was brilliant. It gives us huge confidence that the British team have got things right."
Gillian Cooke, women’s bobsleigh:
"Amy's win was absolutely fantastic. For us it is a real inspiration that someone from our country has gone out there and done it and it just spurs us all on to go out and emulate her success."
John Kerr, figure skating:
“It’s fantastic for Team GB, we’re not really a big winter sports nation so a medal of any colour for us is a great achievement.”
Sinead Kerr, figure skating:
“We actually watched it just before we came out to skate our compulsory dance, so it was great to get a chance to see her and to give us motivation to go forwards as well.”
Adam Pengilly, skeleton:
"When someone does that well we all feel a buzz off it. All the coaches were just so over the moon, I was really pleased for Amy and the support staff, engineers, physios, everyone's had their small part to play.”
Paula Walker, women’s bobsleigh:
"Seeing Amy getting gold was a bit surreal. I had a tear in my eye. There's definitely something working well in Team GB towards the sliding centre so hopefully we can follow suit and get results." |
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Preview Monday 22nd
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Young cross-country skiers Andrew Musgrave and Andrew Young are the only Team GB athletes in competitive action in the Whistler area on Monday 22nd February when they contest the team sprint. They are drawn against the Russian Federation, Norway, Estonia, Canada, Germany, Finland, Poland, China, Lithuania and Slovakia in their semi-final, which gets underway at midday.
Nineteen-year-old Musgrave has already contested three events, finishing 55th in the 15km freestyle, 58th in the individual sprint classic and 51st in the 30km pursuit. Seventeen-year-old Young was 74th in the 15km freestyle and 60th in the individual sprint classic.
Following their energetic, crowd pleasing performances in Sunday’s original dance element of the ice dancing competition, John and Sinead Kerr, and Nick Buckland and Penny Coomes will be looking to stimulate another rousing reception as the competition comes to a climax on Monday with the free dance. With two-thirds of the competition complete, the Kerr siblings are currently 8th, while Coomes and Buckland lie 20th.
Team GB’s men’s curlers now sit equal third in the standings with four wins and three losses and face Germany who lie sixth, in their penultimate round-robin game on Monday. Looking forward skip David Murdoch said, “Germany is always going to be a tough one. When Andy (Andy Kapp, German skip) plays well he can be extremely hot and we have had some tough games against them. But I think with the way the team is playing just now it should be good.”
The women curlers now lie sixth in the standings with three wins and four losses. They play Denmark on Monday in their penultimate round-robin game, followed by Canada on Tuesday. Denmark lie ninth equal, whilst Canada top the table with a clear five wins.
Monday also sees the last day of women¹s bobsleigh training at Whistler Sliding Centre ahead of the two days of competition, which begin on Tuesday. Team GB will be represented by current World Champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke, and Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas. |
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Team GB In Action – Monday 22nd February
Cross Country Skiing; Whistler Olympic Park
Men’s Team Sprint Freestyle Semi-finals
Andrew Musgrave and Andrew Young
12:00 p.m.
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Women's Competition
Team GB vs. Denmark
2:00 p.m.
Men's Competition
Team GB vs Germany
7:00 p.m.
Figure skating; Pacific Coliseum
Ice Dance, Free Dance
Sinead and John Kerr; Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland
4.45pm |
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Team GB In Action – Tuesday 23rd February
Bobsleigh; Whistler Sliding Centre
Women’s competition
Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke, and Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas
5.00 p.m. – Heat 1
6.10 p.m. – Heat 2
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Women's Competition
Team GB vs. Canada
9:00 a.m.
Men's Competition
Team GB vs Norway
2:00 p.m.
Figure skating; Pacific Coliseum
Ladies Singles, Short Programme
Jenna McCorkell
4:30 p.m.
Freestyle Skiing; Cypress Mountain
Women’s Ski Cross
Sarah Sauvey
10:30 - Qualification
13:00 - 1/8 Finals
13:33 - Quarter-finals
13:52 - Semi-finals
14:03 - Finals |
Review Sunday 21st
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Team GB Alpine skier Ed Drake secured his highest finish yet of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with 29th in the super combined on Sunday. The 24-year-old from Kingston-Upon-Thames climbed from 33rd after the downhill to finish 29th with an impressive run on a demanding slalom course.
Drake was competing in his third event at his first Olympic Winter Games – he finished 38th in the downhill on Monday and 32nd in the Super-G on Friday – and is clearly enjoying his first taste of Olympic action.
Team GB’s men’s curlers (Dave Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Pete Smith and Euan Byres) were up against the USA today in an ‘absolutely must win’ game if they were to keep their semi final hopes alive. They didn’t disappoint and in a business-like performance they came out 4-2 winners.
Team GB’s women’s curlers (Eve Muirhead, Jackie Lockhart, Kelly Wood and Lorna Vevers) were looking to return to winning ways today, against Olympic and European silver medallists Switzerland, but it was not to be. Giving away four in the fourth end cost them dear, and despite a valiant fight back they lost 6-10.
An experienced Swiss team, that had been returning to form over recent days, took control from the start. Some excellent shots in the seventh end, coupled with a mistake from Muirhead’s Swiss counterpart, saw Team GB claw back three and give them a glimmer of hope, but it proved too little too late.
Team GB ice dancers John and Sinead Kerr produced a typically exuberant performance in the original dance today. They received excellent support from the crowd and scored 56.76 to give them a total score of 93.78 and 8th place overall.
Teammates Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland also won rapturous applause from the capacity crowd in Pacific Coliseum for their Riverdance inspired original dance. They scored 46.33, giving them 20th place with a total score so far of 72.01. Buckland described their performance and the positive reaction as ’the best experience of my life’.
The free dance brings the competition to its conclusion tomorrow.
Five Questions With Bobsleigh World Champion Nicola Minichiello
Q: How’s training going?
A: it’s going well. We’ve done a lot of preparation work, and we’ve always said we wanted to reach our best form here in Whistler. That’s still the plan. Training is a chance to try out different set-ups, different runners, and to learn from mistakes. We’re happy with where we are.
Q: What do you think of this track?
A: It is a fantastic track. It’s an exciting experience being here. I look at this as the ultimate sliding track. It’s technical, it’s fast and it’s really challenging.
Q: How much do the Olympic Winter Games mean to you?
A: Pretty much everything. My whole life is built towards the 23rd and 24th of February. For a long time, everything I’ve done has been geared towards those days. I have the confidence and the experience, and I know how to win. Now Gillian and I just need to put it all together.
Q: You’ve been planning this for four years, but did you get any last-minute inspiration from Amy Williams’ achievement?
A: Yes. If you look at Amy’s season before these Games, her results weren’t that spectacular, and you could say the same thing about us. But when we were in preparation camp together, you could see Amy was so focused, and she was handling herself brilliantly. And if you do something brilliant at the Olympics, nobody will remember what happened in the rest of your season.
Q: What do you think was the magic ingredient for her?
A: Well, she is a great athlete. But she got her preparations just right. She peaked at precisely the right moment, she coped with the pressure and she was fantastically consistent. That’s exactly what we plan to do. |
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Preview Tuesday 23nd
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Team GB bobsleigh World Champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke get their Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games campaign underway at the Whistler Sliding Centre on Tuesday. The pair are joined in action by the GBR2 crew of Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas.
Andrew Noble and David Ryding both make their Olympic Winter Games debuts in the giant slalom at Whistler Creekside. They will join Ed Drake, who contests his fourth event of the Games.
Jenna McCorkell will become the first athlete from Northern Ireland to compete for Team GB in figure skating when she makes her Olympic debut in the short programme of the ladies singles. At the age of just 23, McCorkell has already won the British title seven times.
Freestyle skier Sarah Sauvey is another debutant for Team GB as she competes in the exciting ski cross event on Cypress Mountain.
Whilst not mathematically impossible for the women to qualify for the semi-finals, they would have to beat top of the table Canada on Tuesday and also hope all the other results fall in their favour. Equal seventh in the standings, they play at 09:00 (17:00 GMT).
The picture is rosier for the men, who now sit equal third in the standings. They face the on form Norwegians at 14:00 tomorrow (22:00 GMT) in their final round-robin game. |
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Team GB In Action – Tuesday 23rd February
Alpine Skiing ; Whistler Creekside
Men's Giant Slalom
Ed Drake, David Ryding, Andrew Noble
9:30 a.m. - 1st Run
1:00 p.m. - 2nd Run
Bobsleigh; Whistler Sliding Centre
Women’s competition
Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke, and Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas
5.00 p.m. – Heat 1
6.10 p.m. – Heat 2
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Women's Competition
Team GB vs. Canada
9:00 a.m.
Men's Competition
Team GB vs Norway
2:00 p.m.
Figure skating; Pacific Coliseum
Ladies Singles, Short Programme
Jenna McCorkell
4:30 p.m.
Freestyle Skiing; Cypress Mountain
Women’s Ski Cross
Sarah Sauvey
10:30 - Qualification
13:00 - 1/8 Finals
13:33 - Quarter-finals
13:52 - Semi-finals
14:03 - Finals |
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Team GB In Action – Wednesday 24th February
Alpine Skiing; Whistler Creekside
Women's Giant Slalom
Chemmy Alcott
10:00 a.m. - 1st run
1:15 p.m. - 2nd run
Bobsleigh; Whistler Sliding Centre
Women's Heat 3 and 4
Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke
Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas
5:00 p.m.
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Men's Tie-Breaker Sessions 1, 2 and 3
Women's Tie-Breaker Sessions 1, 2 and 3
Short Track Speed Skating; Pacific Coliseum
Women's 1000 meters
Elise Christie
5:00 p.m. - Qualification Heats 1-8
Men's 500 meters
Jon Eley
5:47 p.m. - Qualification Heats 1-8 |
Review Monday 22nd
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Scottish siblings John and Sinead Kerr produced another spectacular performance at the Pacific Coliseum to record a season’s best score in the free skate section of the ice dancing competition. Skating to music by Linkin Park they scored 92.23 to give them a total of 186.01 and 8th place in the final standings.
Fellow Team GB ice dancers Nick Buckland and Penny Coomes gained a personal best score of 71.60 in the free skate to conclude their competition with a total score of 143.61, finishing in 20th position. The 20-year-olds from Nottingham were very pleased with their Olympic debut and were well received by both the crowd and the judges.
In fourth place at the start of the night, and with a better than realistic chance of qualifying for at least the play-offs, the Team GB men’s curlers gave themselves a further boost with a dominant performance against Germany, winning 8-2 after eight ends.
For Great Britain’s women curlers it was a must win game today against Denmark, to give themselves a fighting chance of making the semi-final stages of the Games. Even then, they would be relying on other results going their way. But after a controlled and confident first half to lead 5-4, they were unable to sustain the lead and were eventually defeated 8-9 in the final end.
Team GB’s young cross-country skiing pair of Andrew Young and Andrew Musgrave said their experiences of competing at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be invaluable for their future sporting careers.
The pair wrapped up their campaign at their first Olympic Winter Games in the cross-country team sprint freestyle at Whistler Olympic Park on Monday.
Seventeen-year-old Young, who is the youngest member of Team GB’s Vancouver team, went into the event with a cold and the team did not complete the final lap of the race.
Q&A With British Olympic Ice Skating Champion Robin Cousins...30 Years On
Yesterday marked exactly 30 years to the date that Robin Cousins won men’s singles figure skating gold for Team GB at the Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games. In between commentating for the BBC alongside Sue Barker at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver he found time to reminisce.
Q: What do you remember most about your golden Olympic moment?
A: It’s just such a great feeling to have everything that you’ve worked for to come to fruition in the right place at the right time.
Q: Does being in the Olympic environment again bring the memories flooding back?
A: The other night I was sitting in the International Broadcast Centre doing an interview with Hazel Irvine, waiting for Amy Williams to step onto the podium to be presented with her medal, and I could feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. I knew exactly what she was about to feel and I actually got quite emotional, probably for the first time since 30 years ago. It’s brought the memories flooding back and I’m thrilled to be at a skating event 30 years on to celebrate the anniversary.
Q: What’s changed between then and now?
A: Oh, lots! The easiest way to put it into perspective is to say that what I was doing when I won the Olympics in 1980 is now required by junior skaters aged 12-13. Men’s figure skating has moved on tremendously with the triple triples and quads. In a way, a quad was science fiction for me 30 years ago. I’m more than happy to be sat in the commentary box watching other people do things that my body can’t do anymore!
Q: How do you view Team GB’s 2010 ice dancers progress?
A: John and Sinead Kerr have equipped themselves very well and they have to just live that free dance for every second they’ve got and realise this is their moment to shine. For Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland it’s a chance to get out in front of the public. They had a great reaction to their original dance from the crowd. What they need to do is step off the ice and say ‘we’ve done a great job’ and people now know who we are, just like John and Sinead did a few years ago. I think they’ve proved themselves here and done a terrific job. They’ve made an impression here for all the right reasons and that’s the most you can hope for. |
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Preview Wednesday 24nd
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Team GB’s men’s curlers face Sweden in a play-off on Wednesday at 14:00 (22:00 GMT) to keep their Olympic medal hopes alive. The winner will go forward to the semi-finals to face host nation Canada.
Looking forward to the play-off Team GB skip Dave Murdoch said, “We play Sweden and we just have to see it as another game. At least we are not out of it, that’s the main thing. Hopefully we will win that game. If we win we would play Canada in the semi-finals on Thursday. We like playing them; it always brings the best out in us. It is not something we are scared of and it would be one almighty game.”
The women’s bobsleigh reaches its climax at Whistler Sliding Centre on Wednesday. British World Champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke go into the second day of action in 10th place, with the GBR 2 crew of Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas just behind them in 11th.
Chemmy Alcott returns to action in her penultimate skiing event of Vancouver 2010, the giant slalom. She has already equalled her best Olympic performance by finishing 11th in the super combined, and she came 13th in the downhill and 20th in the Super-G.
Two of Team GB’s short track speed skaters return to action at the Pacific Coliseum as John Eley goes in the men’s 500m and 19-year-old Elise Christie competes in the women’s 1000m, her third event at Vancouver 2010. The 500m is Eley’s favourite event and he finished fifth at the last Olympic Winter Games in Turin. |
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Team GB In Action – Wednesday 24th February
Alpine Skiing; Whistler Creekside
Women's Giant Slalom
Chemmy Alcott
10:00 a.m. - 1st run
1:15 p.m. - 2nd run
Bobsleigh; Whistler Sliding Centre
Women's Heats 3 and 4
Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke
Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas
5:00 p.m. – 3rd run
6.15 p.m. – 4th run
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Men's Tie-Breaker
Team GB v Sweden
2:00 p.m.
Short Track Speed Skating; Pacific Coliseum
Women's 1000 meters
Elise Christie
5:00 p.m. - Qualification Heats
Men's 500 meters
Jon Eley
5:47 p.m. - Qualification Heats |
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Team GB In Action - Thursday 25th February
Curling; Vancouver Olympic Centre
Men's Semi-finals
Team GB v Canada*
2:00 p.m.
*If Team GB beat Sweden in play-off on Wednesday |
Review Tuesday 23nd
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Britain’s women bobsleigh World Champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke will go into Wednesday's second day of the Vancouver 2010 competition in 10th place.
The GBR 1 crew are 1.38 seconds off the pace set by the Canada 1 crew of Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse in today’s opening two runs. The GBR 2 crew of Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas are just 0.18 seconds further back in 11th. GBR 1 driver Minichiello said she is still gunning for gold at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
GBR 1 were 10th after the first heat of the four-run series today (Tuesday), 0.66 seconds off the lead. They improved on their first run of 53.85 with a time of 53.73 on the second.
The GBR 2 crew of Walker and her brakeman Thomas were 14th after the first run time of 54.19, but went much quicker second time, clocking 53.58 seconds to jump three places into 11th. They are 1.57 seconds off the leaders.
Team GB’s men’s curlers will now have to beat Sweden in a play-off tomorrow at 14:00 (22:00 GMT) to keep their Olympic medal hopes alive. They lost to Norway today 5-9 after eight ends in a game that they had hoped would secure them a direct passage into the semi-finals on Thursday.
Having increasingly raised their game over the last three ties, it just didn’t quite click today for the British quartet, and they found themselves up against a confident Norwegian side that have maintained their form all week.
Great Britain’s women’s curling team bowed out of the competition against Canada today. They needed to beat top of the top of the standings hosts and also hope all the other results would fall in their favour to give them a place in tomorrow’s play-offs. However it was not to be and they finished their Olympic campaign 5-6 down in an extra end.
For Eve Muirhead, Jackie Lockhart, Kelly Wood and Lorna Vevers it was also an opportunity to show just how well they can play on the big stage and to finish their Games experience with their heads held high. They started off extremely well and played a controlled and containing game, with the statistics showing just how well they were playing across the rink. However, with Canada on last stone in the extra end they took one to win the match and go into the semi finals in a convincing first place.
In Alpine skiing Andy Noble was the highest placed Team GB finisher in Tuesday’s giant slalom at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Noble, who like team-mate Dave Ryding was making his Olympic Winter Games debut today, finished 36th after the two runs of giant slalom 7.02 seconds off the winning time of Switzerland’s Carlo Janka.
Ed Drake finished just behind Noble in 37th after climbing from 43rd place after the first run. It was the Kingston-Upon-Thames skier’s fourth and final event of Vancouver 2010. Lancashire skier Dave Ryding ended the day in 47th, two places higher than his position at the halfway mark. His times of 1:21.97 and 1:26.06 put him 10.20 seconds off the lead.
Drake has now completed his programme at Vancouver 2010, but Noble and Ryding return to action in the slalom on Saturday 27 February – the final day of Alpine skiing at the Games.
23-year-old Jenna McCorkell missed out on qualifying for the free programme following the ladies short programme in her Olympic Winter Games debut today.
McCorkell became the first ice skater from Northern Ireland to reach Olympic level. She started off her programme in good form with a great double axel which scored plus’s across the board, however as she came down the rink she slipped on the landing of the high risk triple lutz / double toe combination, which proved costly. McCorkell finished with a score of 40.64 and 29th position.
The Team GB skater will now look forward to competing at the World Championships in March.
Team GB’s freestyle skier Sarah Sauvey narrowly missed out on qualification to the 1/8 finals of the ski cross competition on Cypress Mountain today. Sauvey completed her qualification run in a time of 1.24.52 to finish 34th fastest, with only the top 32 progressing to the race section of the competition.
Q&A With Team GB Ambassador Steve Redgrave
Five-time Olympic gold medallist and Team GB Ambassador for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Steve Redgrave gives behind the scenes insights from Vancouver:
Q: How is your Olympic experience as Team GB Ambassador going?
A: I’m really enjoying it. It’s a great honour to be back on the team after ten years and to be part of the Winter Olympics is pretty special.
Q: What does the role of Team GB Ambassador involve?
The Ambassador role consists of several aspects. Giving tips and knowledge to the Team GB management from my Olympic experience where I can. Another role is looking after sponsors coming in and I also spent time with British Olympic Association President HRH the Princess Royal during the first few days. I’m getting out to visit many of the sports which puts a big smile upon my face. I’ve chatted to a lot of the athletes and some of them have asked me different things such as the mind games you can play to stay focused.
Q: So what advice have you given them?
When you get to Olympic level, most of the athletes are on a par with each other so it’s about your confidence and allowing your ability to come out. For some athletes something clicks at the Olympic Games and they produce their best. I met Amy Williams at the Team GB Kitting Out process before coming out here and people were saying she’s in good form so don’t be surprised if she performs well in Whistler.
Q: Did seeing a British athlete stand on the gold medal podium bring back some fond memories?
A: Yes, it brought back some very special memories. I was at the start area of the skeleton and seeing that took me back 20-odd years to when I was competing and I started getting really nervous. She coped so well with leading the competition from the start and coming out with that blinding third run was very impressive. Seeing her winning made me want to get back into it, I thought to myself ‘I wonder if I can get back to compete in London’, but i’ll be 50-years-old in 2012 so there’s no chance for me!
Q: You’ve dabbled in the sport of bobsleigh before, becoming British Champion in 1989, are you looking forward to the women’s competition?
A: Definitely. I’m going to see the girls over the next couple of days in Whistler so hopefully they can give their best, as they did last year at the World Championships. I spoke to Nicola and Gillian during the skeleton and they’re pretty happy that they’ve had some good training runs.
Q: Team GB’s motto for Vancouver 2010 is all about achieving your personal best....
A: That’s right, if every athlete can produce a personal best in this kind of environment then that’s all we can ask for. What we’re trying to set up is a team ethos that helps our athletes to do that. Many of them are young and making their Olympic debuts here, so hopefully they can go on and be contenders in four years time. It’s an honour to be a team member and be part of an Olympic Games, summer or winter – there are not many people that get that chance, so it’s a great achievement to be here in the first place, but that’s not enough for our athletes, they want to get the best they possibly can.
Q: Have you been impressed with the organisation of these Games?
A: This is the first winter Olympics that i’ve been to for the duration. The set-up and the volunteers have been absolutely amazing. It’s probably the best Olympic Games of all the ten that i’ve been to. The venues have been stunning and the atmosphere in town has been amazing. I think the slightly warmer weather has been a benefit and really brought the crowds out. |
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Preview Thursday 25th
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A quiet day for Team GB sees Alpine skier and three-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott as Britain’s only competitor. Alcott will participate in the second run of the women’s giant slalom, which is her fourth and penultimate event of the Games.
Alcott is in 25th place after clocking a time of 1:17.53 in her opening run, putting her 2.41 seconds off the time of Elisabeth Goergl (AUT), the event leader at the halfway mark. Fog caused the second run of the competition to be delayed until 09:30 Thursday morning (17:30 GMT).
Meanwhile Team GB’s four-man bobsleigh team continue their training runs at the Whistler Sliding Centre, ahead of the competition, which begins on Friday and reaches its climax on Saturday.
Short track speed skater Jon Eley will enjoy a well earned rest day, having qualified for the quarter-finals of the men’s 500m, which take place on Friday. |
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Team GB In Action - Thursday 25th February
Alpine Skiing; Whistler Creekside
Women’s Giant Slalom 2nd run
Chemmy Alcott
09.30
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Team GB In Action - Friday 26th February
Alpine Skiing; Whistler Creekside
Women’s Slalom
Chemmy Alcott
10:00 – run 1
13:30 – run 2
Bobsleigh; Whistler Sliding Centre
Men’s Four-Man
John Jackson, Dan Money, Henry Nwume, Allyn Condon
13:00 – run 1
14:40 – run 2
Short Track Speed Skating; Pacific Coliseum
Men’s 500m
Jon Eley
18:00pm – Quarter-finals
18:43pm – Semi-finals
19:14 – Finals
Men’s 5000m relay
Jon Eley, Anthony Douglas, Jack Whelbourne, Paul Worth, Tom Iveson
19:51 – B Final |
Review Wednesday 24th February
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Team GB’s Jon Eley finished second in his heat of the men’s 500m short track speed skating competition, qualifying for the quarter-finals on Friday at 6pm (02:00 GMT) with a time of 42.081 seconds. Teammate Paul Worth finished third in 42.936 seconds in a tough heat and therefore does not progress to the quarter-finals.
Nineteen-year-old Elise Christie, competing in her third event at Vancouver 2010, finished third in her heat of the women’s 1000m. Christie’s time of 1:31.363 was impressive given her difficult draw in the outside lane.
Team GB’s men’s curlers fought for their Olympic lives this afternoon and sadly had their medal hopes dashed by Sweden.
They were playing Sweden for the last semi-final place of the 2010 Olympic Games. Sweden had beaten them in the opening round-robin game, but had faltered towards the end of the week, to leave them the last shot of their final round-robin game against Denmark to force a play-off against Great Britain.
It was a tense start by both teams, swopping two’s in each of the first three ends. A steal for one by Sweden in the fourth was nullified by a one from Team GB in the fifth, to go into the fifth end break 3-5 down.
Steals for one in the sixth and seventh, saw the British quartet claw their way back to 5-5, showing their true character. Mistakes crept in from the Swedes and Great Britain forced them to take a one in the eighth to get back on hammer 5-6 down. They went for the blank in the ninth to go into the 10th end on last stone. It was looking good for a two, but they over-swept Murdoch’s last shot and had to settle for the one to level the game at 6-6 but pass over the hammer to Sweden who won 6-7 in the extra end.
The young Team GB bobsleigh partnership of Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas finished 11th on their Olympic debut, but there was disappointment for World Champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke, who crashed on their penultimate run of the competition.
Although they crossed the finish line, they were unable to start their fourth run because of an injury to Cooke and damage to their sled.
Alpine skier Chemmy Alcott will go into Thursday’s second run of the women’s giant slalom in 25th place.
Alcott clocked a time of 1:17.53 in her opening run, putting her 2.41 seconds off the time of Elisabeth Goergl (AUT), the event leader at the halfway mark.
But fog thickened on the Whistler Creekside course ahead of the second run and the jury decided to postpone it until Thursday, starting at 09:30 local time (17:30 GMT).
Adam Pengilly Elected to IOC Athletes’ Commission
The British Olympic Association (BOA) was delighted to announce that Team GB skeleton athlete Adam Pengilly has been elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission in Vancouver today.
Pengilly received the most votes (615) from the total number of ballots accepted (1,902), which represents 75.3% of the Olympic athletes in Vancouver and Whistler.
Pengilly, 32 from Taunton, will serve for a term of eight years and become an IOC member during that period.
The role of the IOC Athletes’ Commission is to make certain athletes have a voice within the IOC and ensure that athletes are always at the heart of the IOC and the Olympic Games.
Nine athletes hailing from nine different countries across four continents stood as candidates for election, all the candidates were winter athletes who participated in 2006 in Turin or are participating in Vancouver 2010.
In reaction to the announcement Adam Pengilly said:
“Clearly i’m very excited to be representing the world’s athletes, and in particular winter athletes. It is a real privilege to be elected by my peers and I will represent them to the very best of my ability.
“I was elected on a mandate to strive for real equality on many levels in sport. I will work for equality between summer and winter sports, and to ensure all athletes face the same demands and requirements. I will push for the ADAMS anti-doping system to apply to all sports and all countries.
“I aim to work together with the IOC and International Federations to create and develop programmes for smaller nations so that there is no gulf between them and the top nations at Olympic Games.
“I would also like to try and ensure that the families of athletes, who have helped and supported them so much, have proper access to enjoy the Olympic experience. To achieve this, I will discuss re-introducing the host family programme.
“Obviously, as a British athlete, it is a special time to be elected. I’m sure London 2012 will be fantastic and I look forward to being involved in many ways as a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
Colin Moynihan, BOA Chairman said:
“This is the best possible news for British athletes. The IOC Athletes’ Commission has rightly risen in importance to the heart of the Olympic movement. The voice of the athletes must always be heard first. Adam has all the skills required to make a major contribution both nationally and internationally.”
Andy Hunt, Team GB Chef de Mission and BOA Chief Executive said:
“I would like to offer my congratulations to Adam Pengilly on his election to the IOC Athletes’ Commission. I am very proud that a member of Team GB has been voted by his peers into this crucial and prestigious position. The British Olympic Association follows an athlete-centric approach in everything we do, so it is great to see Adam holding such an integral role, promoting the athlete voice, within the IOC. We look forward to working with, and supporting, Adam in the run up to London 2012 and beyond.”
Joining Pengilly on the IOC Athletes’ Commission will be USA women’s ice hockey player Angela Ruggiero, who received 605 votes. The two new members will be confirmed by full IOC membership before being officially introduced at the Closing Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on 28th February. |
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Preview Friday 26th
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The Team GB men’s four-man bobsleigh team of John Jackson, Henry Nwume, Dan Money and Allyn Condon get their Vancouver 2010 Olympic campaign underway at the Whistler Sliding Centre on Friday with the opening two runs of the four run competition. The final two runs follow on Saturday.
Meanwhile at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Team GB short track speed skater Jon Eley will be aiming for a medal in the men’s 500m. Eley will race in the second quarter-final at 18:00 (02:00 GMT) and hopes to progress to the semi-finals and final, which follow shortly after.
Eley will then join his teammates to contest the men’s 5000m relay B final where Team GB will race against Germany.
Alpine skier Chemmy Alcott competes in her fifth and final event of her third Olympic Winter Games in the slalom on Friday. On Thursday she finished 27th in the giant slalom. |
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Team GB In Action - Friday 26th February
Alpine Skiing; Whistler Creekside
Women’s Slalom
Chemmy Alcott
10:00 – run 1
13:30 – run 2
Bobsleigh; Whistler Sliding Centre
Men’s Four-Man
John Jackson, Dan Money, Henry Nwume, Allyn Condon
13:00 – run 1
14:40 – run 2
Short Track Speed Skating; Pacific Coliseum
Men’s 500m
Jon Eley
18:00pm – Quarter-finals
18:43pm – Semi-finals
19:14 – Finals
Men’s 5000m relay
Jon Eley, Anthony Douglas, Jack Whelbourne, Paul Worth, Tom Iveson
19:51 – B Final
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Team GB In Action - Saturday 27th February
Alpine skiing men's slalom: Whistler Creekside
Andy Noble and Dave Ryding
10.00: run 1
13.45: run 2
Bobsleigh men's four-man; Whistler Sliding Centre
John Jackson, Henry Nwume, Dan Money and Allyn Condon
13.00: heats 3 and 4
Snowboarding; Cypress Mountain
Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom
Adam Mcleish
10:00 - Qualification Run
10:34 - Elimination Run
12:15 - 1/8 Finals
12:51 - Quarter-finals
13:09 - Semi-finals
13:31 - Finals |
Review Thursday February 25th
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Alpine skier Chemmy Alcott was Team GB’s sole athlete in competitive action on Thursday. She finished 27th in the giant slalom at Whistler Creekside.
Alcott started the day 2.41 seconds off the lead in 25th, following her opening run on Wednesday, before the remainder of the competition was delayed by a day due to fog.
She attacked the course again today but couldn’t improve on her overnight position. Alcott clocked a time of 1:12.41 on run two. That put her 2.83 seconds behind the combined time of Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg, who took gold.
Alcott said race officials made the right call in postponing yesterday’s second run due to fog. “It was a good a decision,” she said. “It was a safety decision. The conditions were really difficult and they were much better today. We were all in the same boat.”
Alcott, who is competing at her third Olympic Winter Games, is due to round off her Vancouver 2010 campaign in the slalom on Friday.
Team GB’s four man bobsleigh team of John Jackson, Dan Money, Henry Nwume and Allyn Condon continued their preparations with their final two training runs at the Whistler Sliding Centre, ahead of the competition, which begins on Friday and reaches its climax on Saturday.
Q&A: Eve Muirhead Reflects on her Olympic Experience
Q: How would you sum up your Olympic experience?
A: We had aspirations to finish much higher than seventh, although that was where we were ranked coming into the Games. Personally, I have had the experience of a lifetime out here though and I have learnt so much that I can take forward with me for the future.
Q: What have you learnt from these Games?
A: I have certainly now experienced competing at the highest level and the pressures that brings with it, and I am sure it will stand me in good stead moving forward. The curling arena was so noisy at times, particularly if Canada were playing. That took some getting used to, but it was fantastic to compete in front of such an enthusiastic crowd.
Q: At 19 you were the youngest ever Olympic skip, how did that make you feel?
A: I believe if you are good enough, you are old enough. Although things didn’t work out as planned I think I proved I was good enough, particularly in those early wins against the World and European Champions. Everybody has to go through their first Olympics at some time, and regardless of age, the pressures are the same.
Q: What are amongst your most memorable moments?
A: Walking out onto the ice for our opening game was really cool, I will always remember that. It got even better as we went on to beat China, the World Champions, which was a real high. It is also amazing just how many people have been recognising me in the street and asking to have their picture taken with me, I never expected that. Curling is such a huge sport over here they follow it big time.
Q: Did you meet any famous people in Vancouver?
A: Princess Anne came to watch us train before the start of the Games, which was great and we met her at the Team GB reception. She was really interested in curling and said she had even given it a go. We also met the singer Michael Buble at the Vancouver Curling Club. We had our picture taken with him, which was great fun.
Q: What will you do for the rest of the Games?
A: The curling programme is so busy we haven’t had much time to see other sports, except on the television, so I hope to get a chance to do that. I also went into the International Broadcast Centre last night and was amazed to see behind the scenes. As an athlete you don’t realise just how much there is to organising a Games.
Q: Will you be aiming to compete again in Sochi 2014?
A: Hopefully there will be many more competition opportunities to come and hopefully there will be more Olympics. When I think about Sochi I will always think about the Sochi Dome here in Vancouver which lights up like a giant golf ball at night. |
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Preview Saturday 27th
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Snowboarder Adam Mcleish will become the 52nd and final athlete to compete for Team GB when he goes in the parallel giant slalom on Cypress Mountain on Saturday morning.
Andy Noble and Dave Ryding both sample their second taste of Olympic Winter Games action as they compete in the slalom at Whistler Creekside on Saturday. The pair contested the giant slalom on Tuesday, finishing 36th and 47th respectively.
The Team GB four-man bobsleigh crew are aiming to resume their campaign on Saturday, despite their crash in heat two on Friday. They aim to race, as long as their sled is ok. They would go into the final day of action at Whistler Sliding Centre in 21st place and would represent the final action competitive from Team GB at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. |
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Team GB In Action - Saturday 27th February
Alpine skiing men’s slalom: Whistler Creekside
Andy Noble and Dave Ryding
10.00: first run
13.45: second run
Bobsleigh men’s four-man: Whistler Sliding Centre
John Jackson, Henry Nwume, Dan Money and Allyn Condon
13.00: heat 3
14.40 heat 4
Snowboarding; Cypress Mountain
Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom
Adam Mcleish
10:00 - Qualification Run
10:34 - Elimination Run
12:15 - 1/8 Finals
12:51 - Quarter-finals
13:09 - Semi-finals
13:31 - Finals
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Team GB In Action - Sunday 28th February
17:30 - Closing Ceremony |
Review Friday 26th February
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Team GB’s short track speed skaters showed their potential during some thrilling races at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on Friday night.
Jon Eley finished sixth in the men’s 500m, after agonizingly missing out on a place in the final following a tight finish to his semi-final.
Eley then joined forces with teammates Jack Whelbourne, Anthony Douglas and Paul Worth to win the 5000m relay B final against Germany and finish the competition in sixth place.
John Jackson, driver of Team GB's four-man bobsleigh, said his crew were 'disappointed but fine' after crashing on their second run today. The crew aim to return to action for their final runs on Saturday, as long as their sled is in good shape.
The quartet of John Jackson, Henry Nwume, Dan Money and Allyn Condon were in a creditable 11th place after clocking a time of 51.53 seconds on the opening run of their Vancouver 2010 campaign. That put them 0.64 seconds behind USA 1, the race leaders.
The Team GB crew crashed on their second run but still slid across the finish line to set a time, giving them the opportunity to continue racing tomorrow. Their second run time of 54.29 put them into 21st place overall.
Team GB’s Chemmy Alcott rounded off her Alpine skiing campaign at her third Olympic Winter Games today. She didn’t finish her opening run of the slalom, but her best performance of Vancouver 2010 saw her finish 11th in the super combined, equalling her best result yet at an Olympic Winter Games. She also placed a very creditable 13th in the downhill earlier in the Games. |
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Review Saturday 27th February
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Team GB Alpine skiers Dave Ryding and Andy Noble both ended their first Olympic Winter Games on a high note by climbing up the rankings to secure top-30 finishes in the slalom.
Lancashire’s Ryding finished his campaign by climbing from 33rd to 27th on his second run, while Noble, from Edinburgh, rose from 32nd to 29th. Ryding, who had finished 47th in the giant slalom in his first Vancouver 2010 competition earlier in the week, said: "I gave it everything today, I couldn't have asked for any more from myself.”
Ryding recorded a time of 51.58 in his opening run and followed that up with 53.55 on his second to finish 5.81 seconds behind the winning time of Italy’s’ Giuliani Razzoli, who took gold. Noble (pictured) said he was pleased with his 29th place. "I'm definitely happy with that. I've really enjoyed my time at the Games.”
Noble was Team GB’s highest placed finisher in the giant slalom on Tuesday in 36th. His time of 51.55 for his first slalom run today put him 32nd and he followed that up with 54.58 to end his campaign in 29th. He finished 6.81 seconds off the gold medallist.
Team GB snowboarder Adam Mcleish finished 24th in the parallel giant slalom in tough weather conditions on Cypress Mountain this morning. Mcleish produced two clean and consistent qualification runs, recording times of 40.30 seconds and 40.79 seconds, but just missed out on the top 16 finish required to progress to the 1/8 finals. Mcleish became the 52nd and final athlete to compete for Team GB at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Team GB’s men’s four-man bobsleigh were the last British athletes in action at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games as they contested the third and fourth heats of the competition at the Whistler Sliding Centre this afternoon.
Sitting in 21st position overnight following the first two heats on Friday, the Team GB crew of John Jackson, Henry Nwume, Dan Money and Allyn Condon completed both runs 14th fastest today, recording consistent times of 52.15 and 52.24. This left the Team GB crew in 17th place at the close of the competition, 5.75 seconds behind the leaders.
Team GB’s athletes will now turn their attention to tomorrow’s Closing Ceremony at BC Place Stadium, where the festivities get under way at 17:30 (01:30 GMT). |
Olympic Champion Williams to carry flag
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The British Olympic Association announced today that Olympic skeleton champion Amy Williams will carry the Union Flag for Team GB at the Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver on Sunday.
Williams, who made her Olympic Winter Games debut in Vancouver, produced a stunning performance to strike gold in the skeleton on Friday 19 February.
In doing so the 27-year-old, from Bath, became Team GB’s first individual Olympic Winter Games gold medallist for 30 years and the first woman individual gold medallist for 58 years.
Amy Williams said: 'What an amazing honour to be asked to carry the British flag and lead the way for Team GB. I am hugely thrilled and proud - this really does mean the world to me.
“I've been pinching myself ever since I won the gold medal, and now to have this honour come my way is brilliant. I'm sure the Closing Ceremony will be a wonderful finale to what has been, to me, an incredible Games.”
Andy Hunt, Team GB Chef de Mission said: “There was only one truly outstanding candidate to carry our flag and that was Amy. She produced a magnificent performance to win the gold medal in skeleton - our first individual gold in 30 years. But she is also a charming and inspirational figure who we hope will help to encourage a new generation towards embracing Olympic sport.
“The Closing Ceremony marks the end of a fine Olympic Winter Games. Our team has competed consistently well and produced some outstanding performances. Sunday's ceremony will give our athletes a final chance to savour the unique atmosphere of these Games, and hopefully spur them on to return to the ranks of Team GB in Sochi in 2014.” |
Q&A With Matt Pinsent – BBC Reporter and Four Times Olympic Champion
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Q: How have you found the overall Vancouver Olympic experience?
A: It’s been very good, the best of the three Winter Games that i’ve been to. I think the great atmosphere is helped by Vancouver being a big city, bigger than some past winter Olympic hosts. It’s been carried along by people in the city really enjoying the experience.
Q: So what have you been up to then?
A: I’ve been based in Vancouver throughout the Games in my role as a reporter for the BBC. I’ve been to pretty much every Vancouver and Cypress Mountain venue and been ripping around doing features on the British athletes and the Games in general. This included play fighting with the Olympic mascots, touring the Athletes Village, doing a piece on the Mounties parade and lots of sporting features such as a focus on short track speed skating, ice hockey and Canada’s race for their first ever gold medal on home turf early in the Games.
Q: What was your Games highlight?
A: Obviously Amy Williams winning gold for Team GB was absolutely great and definitely the highlight. But I wasn’t up in Whistler, so I missed out on that!
Q: What could London 2012 learn from Vancouver 2010?
A: I’ve been really impressed by how, particularly in the hockey stadium, the organisers whip up the excitement in the home fans. For example, by taking host nation gold medallists from one sport at the Games, to other events later in the Games is a huge inspiration and the crowd go crazy when they interview them or show them on screen. It’s not something i’ve seen done before in an organised way. Even if the athlete is not there, just showing the latest action from elsewhere on the big screens really gets people going. They’ve done that really well.
Q: How does your Olympic experience as a TV reporter compare with your previous Olympic experiences?
A: Nothing compares to being an athlete. This reporting business is less stressful but more tiring, if that makes sense! Your whole life isn’t riding on the outcome of one six minute race, but you’ve got to keep going for 18 or 19 days solid, so you have to pace yourself and get proper rest in between.
Q: Quite similar to a rowing race in some ways then?
A: Well yes, I guess so. But 2,000m in a rowing boat is the ultimate test of stamina, even more so than 19 days at the Games with the BBC. It’s just a different skill set. Being an athlete you are incredibly blessed, but now I still feel blessed because I get to stay close to the Games and talk to athletes. Nothing is going to replace the buzz of competing but the Olympics is just such a fantastic event to be involved with.
Q: What is your advice to Team GB’s young athletes who gained their first Olympic experience here?
A: They should store away all the experience from here, both positive and negative, and use that to motivate themselves. Taking out as much as you can from your experience here, and spreading that across four years of training until you get to Sochi is a real skill. There’s going to be ups and downs; there’s going to be times when you think you’re fantastic and times when you think ‘what am I doing?’, so the experience of the Olympics has got to be enough to last you though that. It is really important for the younger athletes to know what it’s like and what they’re going to do differently next time. They’ll go back with a much better idea of what it takes to be a finalist or medallist or Champion, whatever their target is, and that’s a crucial learning process. You can’t buy Olympic experience, it’s irreplaceable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Vancouver Games End in Spectacular Style
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Following her outstanding gold medal winning performance in the women’s skeleton at Whistler Sliding Centre nine days ago, Team GB’s Amy Williams was the proud bearer of the Union Flag at the Closing Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on Sunday night.
During the Ceremony fellow Team GB skeleton slider Adam Pengilly was officially introduced as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission. Pengilly was elected earlier this week after receiving the most votes from his fellow athletes. Pengilly presented a gift to four Vancouver 2010 volunteers to thank them for their essential contribution to a making the Games a success.
Over 5,000 athletes from 82 countries enjoyed a spectacular show, including musical performances from Michael Buble, Nickelback, Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morrisette, and an inspirational speech from actor Michael J. Fox.
Canadian fans among the 60,000 capacity BC Place stadium were in euphoric mood following their epic ice hockey victory over USA just hours earlier, which helped to create a full on party atmosphere for the athletes to enjoy.
IOC President Jacques Rogge thanked Canada for “16 unforgettable days of unique and joyous celebration of Olympism,” and praised the organising committee for “excellent and very friendly Games,” before declaring the XXI Olympic Winter Games closed. In time honoured fashion, he then called upon the youth of the world to meet again in four years time in Sochi, Russia.
Before that, of course, the world’s eyes will focus on London as Team GB takes centre stage at the 2012 Olympic Games. |
Q&A: Olmypic Champion Amy Williams
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Q: You’ve had more than a week now to come to terms with being an Olympic Champion. Has it sunk in yet?
A: I don’t think so. Not totally anyway. When I first won the Gold, there was such a lot going on that I didn’t really have time to actually think about what I’d done. I was doing interviews for papers and TV, talking to lots of people, answering lots of questions, but then I went to the medal ceremony and got given the Gold, and that’s when I think I started to realise what had really happened.
Q: When you look back on your performance, you dominated the event all the way through. How much pride does that give you?We’re at the end of the Games now. It’s been a memorable and inspiring event, but now is the time to let Vancouver and Whistler get back to normal, and to let our athletes return home.
A: Well the funny thing is that I’ve never been one of these people who went into events shouting about how well they could do. I knew that I could go well on this track, and I worked really well with my coaches. It all just clicked. But I looked at the runs again last night, and there are still things I could have done better!
Q: Are you looking forward to getting home?
A: Oh yes. I want to see my family and my friends again, and do some normal things. I want to just spend an evening drinking some tea and watching a film.
Q: Are you prepared for fame?
A: Well, you’re in a bit of a bubble during the Games. I’ve been out in Whistler a few times when people have asked for photos and autographs, and that’s been lovely. Everyone’s been really friendly. I know things will be a bit mad when I get home, and that I’ll get asked to do some different things, but I’ll still be the same person. I really can’t see me changing.
Q: How did you feel about being selected to carry the flag for the team at the Closing Ceremony?
A: It’s just a massive honour for me to have been chosen. It’s also a way of thanking a lot of people. My parents, the coaching team at skeleton – who are just brilliant – the people at Team GB. I was on the skeleton, but there were a lot of people willing me on! |
Closing Blog by Andy Hunt, Team GB Chef de Mission
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We’re at the end of the Games now. It’s been a memorable and inspiring event, but now is the time to let Vancouver and Whistler get back to normal, and to let our athletes return home.
We’ve had a lot to be proud of here – young athletes like Andrew Musgrave and Elise Christie producing performances that show huge promise. Established stars such as Jon Eley, Chemmy Alcott and John and Sinead Kerr competing with the very best in the world. And, of course, a stunning Gold medal from Amy Williams to be very proud of.
I was lucky enough to be there at the end as Amy jumped off her skeleton and saw that she had become Olympic Champion. It was an amazing moment for her, for the coaching team, but also for everyone in Team GB.
Amy’s a great athlete, but she’s also a great advert for Team GB – dedicated to her sport, hard-working and always entertaining to be around. There’s a lot to admire in her, just as I believe there’s a lot to admire in the whole British team.
We said before these Games that our objective was to build on the achievements of Turin, and I think we’ve done that. We said we’d put the athletes at the heart of everything we do, and we did. Now we have to look at the future, and at the best way of helping winter sports to develop between now and 2014.
So we’re looking at the long term, making sure we’ve got all the right people doing the right jobs to support the right athletes in the right way. I think we’ve done a great job here in Canada but, as you all know, Better Never Stops.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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FAQ
– ski moguls
