Monday 15 February
at last the shackles are off and now we are racing.
You could feel the excitement, the thrill of the Olympics and the
buzz from the moment the bus turned around the corner and headed
towards Creekside. Colder than previous days yet this was Olympic
downhill day at the fourth attempt! This was race day.
The press centre was a hive of activity, where had all these people
come from? Where have they been hiding? Where? The Olympics bring
out more journalists than is safe! Like most of the athletes taking
part in the Olympics, many of these guys will not have been to a
World Cup race in their lives yet they will be desperately trying to
convince their readers that they know Bode, are best buddies with
Manny and go for a beer with Didier, Cuche that is, not Defago!
While many of the racers taking place in the technical races next
week, would struggle to win a guest race in the alpine villages on a
Friday, they will be let down a course that will be set for
Olympians and World Cup skiers. I am sure that the Baron had the
best interests yet in this modern day, the practicalities of safety
need to be taken into account. For the safety of the racers going
down the courses, should your average Joe be allowed to do them? For
the sanity of the racers, should some of the press be made to attend
more races so that they are not made to look like complete morons?
I was impressed by my buddy Nate in the finish area today. There he
was on his mobile as the race was going on, tweeting with each
racer. Mobile phone to hand, connected to the net, tweeting away!
Awesome. If you want to link to him on Twitter then he works under
the name Downhillwritter. Many of you will have already met him as
on his first year working the World Cup tour he came and stayed with
me in Alpbach while the Barsc races were on and came down and
interviewed a few of the Junior and Children racers. "You mean these
kids actually ski on a plastic mat? Are they nuts?" he asked me in
the car on the way back to the flat!
Talking of the finish area, it must have been designed by a complete
gimp! By the end of the two weeks I will have a crick in my neck and
be blinded from having to look up high to watch the action and then
have to fight the sun that will be directly behind it! Hmmmm. Why
they have not put the screen further up towards the finish line so
that both the crowd and the scum called the press can see it safely
beats me!
Was talking to the friendly Brit volunteer in the sub centre at the
creek and we both came up with the conclusion that it is strange
that London 2012 do not have loads of people out here shadowing the
people doing their jobs. Experience is good and yet when most of the
people doing these jobs are career event staff, Australian and
unable to work in the EU without a permit, what will happen? Again
why they have someone who clearly knows nothing about skiing as the
MC, even Miller was bemused by it. Amateurish to be honest! Come on
FIS / IOC / VANOC get with the case and get the individual sports to
run their own press conferences not faceless computer people (If I
want to see one of those people I can ring up a call centre!)
I have been trying since I got to Whistler to get hold of the
athletes to do some video interviews. The IOC say I cannot do them
in the confines of the Berlin Wall, sorry the IOC Wall as I do not
have Rights Holders rights. Not having seen the BBC here apart from
a fleeting glimpse of Graham Bell, this all seems a little weird. I
have asked people on Facebook to send in their comments and thoughts
of the Olympics so it will be interesting to see who watches the
BBzzzz or Eurosport!
Well the Chinese have just won something from the TV across the
press room so that must mean it is time to go home for the night. It
all starts again tomorrow with the Super Combined for the men. What
day is it....?
