Thursday 18 February
Two races in two days - overkill or what!
First it was the downhill then the Super G and tomorrow we get a
Super G. This is what it is all about. Bang bang bang, give me
races! I am a ski racing junkie.....I will need my bed one day but
hey that can wait!
We may be seven days into the Olympics and still Team GB ranks
alongside such great nations as .... Ghana on the medals table but (at
least we did not cheat to get to the Games!
Check out the FIS results for a set of dubious results in Iran
if you query this) there is excitement in the pressroom for the
GB group. At the half way stage we are in seventh equal and leading.
Sorry, no yes we are! Amy Williams leads after having broken the
track record with her first run and then followed it up with another
good run. Shelley Rudman had a poor (by her fine standards) first
run but is back in the running. Have had to start asking questions
about prize giving and other things. Saturday it gets given and yes
I will go no matter what the colour! I will head up there after the
Super G tomorrow so the newsletter may be turned over to skeleton
tomorrow!
The GB Flags are still around and the British accent is still
popping up. I was reading the blog on the BBC website by
James Pearce about the poor comments given by the GB press about
the Games earlier today and to be honest yes there have been a few
comments to make but on the whole they have been a whole heap better
than Turin. It does seem funny however that in an era where text
messaging is prevalent in getting news around, the local IT and
Communications provider cannot send text's to a foreign mobile
phone, bizarre! Instead we have had to rely on the emails from Doug
Haney, the US team's Press Officer. His emails have kept me amused,
provided numerous stories for the newsletter and entertained. The
man is a legend and has a great turn of phrase - how FIS, the IOC
and any other press officer could learn from him!
Other good things about the Games, when compared to other events and
venues:
+ Reasonable priced food in the press centre (am not saying it is
always edible but that is another story.
+ Good transport system between my bed and the two press centres I
happen to use.
+ FREE coffee and hot chocolate.
+ The IT system works and has not failed me once, OK so once I had
to use a cable but that was no hardship!
So all this good news and comments, maybe the sun has got to me?
Maybe the thrill of seeing some racers fighting and being proud of
their achievements has affected me...? Who knows! Even the BOA
coverage has picked up, press releases getting out quickly and
efficiently (Maybe those journos bitching should look at this rather
than trying to say that everything else is rubbish!). It was
unfortunate that the Games started off on a bad not but it was an
accident, a freak accident. Yes there were mistakes in the design
and the safety and people will have learned from these things. The
track has been redesigned at the point of the crash.
We are now three races into the Alpine schedule and Chemmy has
acquitted herself well. No top tens YET but good performances none
the less. Ed goes again in the morning and I suspect that the Fleet
Street possie will either be skiing (the Sunday's) or up at the
Skeleton. Me? I will be with the Alpine guys getting cold
again in the shade and working on the crick in my neck looking up at
the screen that the sun will come up behind. there you go all the
positive comments could not last! Usual business has resumed!
How is it all going in Bormio as no results to post today
sadly..........
