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Thursday 12 February
has the fun gone? Thoughts and prayers

There was a strange and erie atmosphere around the Olympic venues today.  I decided to go direct to the Creekside Media Centre this morning so that I could get going on working on the Men's story for the Downhill in the morning. Could anyone tell me how to get up to the media centre? You ask a policeman and he does not know, we are told to ask the Blue jacket volunteers where to go and they do not know.... eventually i get into the inner sanctum and bump almost literally into Shane O'Connor. At 36 (shhhhhh not really that old is rusty?) O'Connor is living his dream. This will be his one and only chance to race in the Olympics and he is taking it. He will not be the oldest Olympian in the Alpine Events (Hubertus von Hohenlohe from Mexico takes that honour at over 50...) but O'Connor is making the most of the opportunity.

After chatting to Shane about skis, pictures and general banter he is off to get his skis and then for the Opening Ceremony. As I write this, Shane is down in Vancouver, living his dream.

For another athlete who should have been there, he has paid the ultimate sacrifice. Nodar Kumaritashvili will be more famous than all the Olympic Champions created over the next two weeks. He paid the ultimate sacrifice when his luge careered off the track and he slammed into a concrete pillar. While medical teams rushed to try and revive him, the 21 year old died of his injuries at the track I understand. As the Australian team comes through into the BC Arena, it is heartening to see the Olympic family all wearing black armbands for a fellow athlete who would have been yet another athlete in the crowd, yet now is immortalised for his ultimate sacrifice.

I never met the athlete and do feel sorry for all who did. The course that caused him to lose his life it is said is one of the fastest and precarious around.  Racers have reached speeds of over 150 kmh, 90mph. Faster than you can legally drive a car in the UK.  Others have said that Nodar was raising his head and this is a sign of fear. I am not surprised.

My question on this is such: This 21 year old man had taken part in just 5 World Cup events and had finished 44th in the season long standings. This is no time for recriminations but the Olympics are THE top sporting event, winter or summer. The ultimate athletes attend this event.  Do you lower the qualification criteria do encourage more athletes to take part or do you allow all athletes to take part as per Eddie the Eagle or the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team, to help promote the sport?

Ski racing will have its own ethical questions on this subject to overcome in week two of the Games. The entry list for the two technical events is filled with racers from many non Alpine Countries.  When you look at their FIS points, you have to wonder whether they will be able to cope with the same conditions that Benni Raich, Didier Cuche et al will be looking for. The top World Cup racers require bullet hard conditions. Will the Algerian, Ghanaian or others be able to cope without embarrassing themselves or the sport? Yes it is great to see such countries taking part in the Games but IS IT SAFE? This is my point. If they can qualify and get to the Games and show that they are capable of making it down the course realistically then all is good.

For any athlete this is the highlight of their career. I would love to have gone. But is the pursuit of this goal worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Good luck to all the racers....