For some athletes, it never rains but it pours. The new season has promised so much for Chemmy Alcott as she sets out for one final push to the Olympics to try and achieve her goal. Chemmy has always been great with her promotion and interacting with her legion of fans around the world and used Facebook to announce that has had an accident training with the Norwegian team. Chemmy described the incident as ... 'a little whoopsie' which she then describes as a broken leg. Her full description is "Slight set back in my Sochi prep as the last day of a fabulous camp where I was skiing technically stronger than ever, I had a little whoopsie. Rebroken my leg. Clean, easy break already weight bearing. Medical opinion is I will miss first races but will be good to go full speed ahead after. Unfortunate set back but I am used to the adversity, just another chapter before the Hollywood finish in Sochi!!"
Chemmy knows that Sochi will be her swansong and ever since her accident in 2011 at Lake Louise, the odds have been stacked against her. She fought back bravely to make the start list for the Super G in Schladming for the 2013 World Championships. The result may not have been what she wanted but it was a miracle that she had made the start. Chemmy admitted that her fitness had not been as good as she thought it needed to be but she was as bubbly as ever and determined. If ever a racer deserved a medal for determination in coming back from injury, this was a serious candidate!
Downhill training saw her World Championships dream over for another Championships as she crashed and cartwheeled in the netting. Heartbreaking stuff but she was still determined to make the trip for Sochi, such is her determination.
This season Chemmy took the opportunity to train with the rising stars of the Norwegian Team. The speed programme with the Canadian team, who she had trained with last season, had been canned and so this was a great opportunity for her to use the rising stars of the Norwegian Girls team to push her on for one last chance at the Olympics. With a World Junior Champion in their roster, Chemmy was being pushed like never before. The Norwegians were relishing having her in their teams as well. It is a win win situation for both sides.
Great Champions suffer set backs all the time. The joy of the Olympics is that it is one race. It is one race on one day. As long as Chemmy can get her form back in time to make the plane to Sochi, Chemmy needs to peak for the Downhill and Super G in Sochi. The World Cup is another story but they are, for Chemmy, not the focus of the season now. It is now all about getting her body ready for the big ones, the Olympics. Determination will be to the forefront and it is something she has in bucket loads.
From her results last season, Chemmy has made the criteria for the British Team to go to the Olympics.
For the record, the dates for Chemmy are February 12, Women's Downhill and February 15 for the Super G.
Get well soon Chemmy!