Poster: A snowHead
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This thread's been re-headed and updated. Scroll down for latest links.
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Britain's ski racing athletes convened yesterday (6 October) in London to preview the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and discuss their chances.
The team includes four Scottish racers - Finlay Mickel, Roger Cruickshank, Alain Baxter and Noel Baxter. Finlay Mickel has been training in Chile and reckons he's on a roll:
"It's the best summer's training I've ever had," said Mickel, who has been "adopted" by the Australian and US set-ups. "It's a good arrangement and I've developed a close relationship with the Americans. It's great for me."
This report from The Scotsman.
Alain Baxter, who was stripped of the bronze medal he won in 2002 at Salt Lake City says he has nothing to prove:
"My memory has been tarnished by what happened at Salt Lake City but that was four years ago," Baxter told BBC Sport. Their report here.
Will post up the names of the other three confirmed racers for Turin when I've found out - neither the BBC nor Scotsman reports provide this information! Also, not sure of the situation regarding female British racers.
Anyone know?
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Update: see this report and photos from Natives.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 21-10-05 0:08; edited 4 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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At a guess I would say Chemmy Alcott, James Leuzinger and Joanna Greig.
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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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Details of the 2005/6 'British Alpine Team' can be accessed on the Snowsport GB site. Click 'Press'.
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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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rob@rar.org.uk, Yes
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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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It would have been nice if The Scotsman could have correctly spelt the name of John Ritblat! Nothing like pi$$ing off the principal sponsor of UK competitive skiing for the past 30 years.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 7-10-05 8:56; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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When I read the Scotsman etc first thing, I found the lack of a mention for the rest of the team pretty astonishing. The Herald and one or two others just about mentioned them though.
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This report from The Times also puts the focus on Finlay Mickel:
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Mark Tilston, the performance director [of the British squad], concurred, claiming that the Scot is now a “genuine podium contender for Turin”. |
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It's good that Finlay feels he's had a strong summer. Last season was so positive for him, so hopefully he will kick off well at Lake Louise and build up to Turin.
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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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Anyone interested in reading the thoughts of three of the team, the 'English' members, they've been blogging for RacerReady during their summer training, with James Leuzinger being particularly diligent with regular updates.
Read that Mickel had been up with Rahlves' times during training (he trains with the US and Oz teams sometimes). We'll see when it comes to the real thing, not long to go now...
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brian
brian
Guest
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PG, the Scotsman has been an absolute pile of pants since it was taken over by the mysterious Barclay Brothers, who installed Andrew "shredded wheat head" Neill to run it for them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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PG, I missed that - great addition to the site. Will the blogs continue during the winter?
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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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Natives.co.uk has a report on the Olympic Ski Team press conference, with photos, and all the names in the team: click here.
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A minor mistake in the report though, that suggests Finlay is "only a few seconds behind Bode"... oops.
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You know it makes sense.
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Maybe in the egg and spoon race.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Quote: |
A minor mistake in the report though, that suggests Finlay is "only a few seconds behind Bode"... oops.
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An in the immortal words of Nick Fellowes:
"That's an eternity in Alpine ski racing"
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Poster: A snowHead
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Andrew Baker of the Telegraph sizes up the prospects for the British Olympic team at the Turin Winter Olympics: click here.
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On the ski slopes, the versatile Chemmy Alcott, practically a one-woman team, will be hoping to challenge for at least top-10 places across a variety of disciplines, while Finlay Mickel has been showing promising form in men's downhill events. |
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Snowboardcross is a discipline new to the Winter Olympics, in which competitors race four abreast down a slalom course. Zoe Gillings, from the Isle of Man, is ranked fourth in the world and considered one of Britain's brightest medal prospects for Turin. |
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