Winter Olympics 2014

tunguska

I cant believe its been nearly 4 years since 2010 games in Vancouver. Really looking forward to Sochi now. Starts feb 7th and finishes Feb 23rd. Although I cant seem to find Ski-cross on the schedule? Surely its on again, was great craic the last time(Del Bosco crashing in the final as he went for the win).

Whats the time difference by the way?

http://www.sochi2014.com/en/games/sport/olympic-games/

khc

Me too, I way prefer the Winter Olympics to Summer! Anyone know if Kirsten McGarry will be competing?

khc

Ski cross is listed there in the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park

Anyone know if there's an Irish ski crosser?

Fattes

Irish Alpine team is Conor Lyne GS & Slalom and women's team has 3 girls currently battling for the place I am putting my money in 1 of the Bell sisters being our female rep this time.

Will be wide open as Vonn had blown here knee out again training with the US at copper mountain yesterday ( confirmation if injury pending) For the men GS LIGETY and slalom Herscher have a monopoly but super g and downhill are wide open

Was out in the GS Hill last year some serious money going in too this


Ski cross is there
http://www.fis-ski.com/freestyle-skiing/ski-cross/news-multimedia/news/article=sochi-ski-and-snowboard-cross-course-revealed.html

khc

When do they announce the Irish competitors? What happened to Kirsten McGarry - has she retired?

Fattes

khc wrote: »

Ski cross is listed there in the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park

Anyone know if there's an Irish ski crosser?

No Irish ski cross only the top 30 athletes male and female in ski cross can enter for the Olympics.

Ireland gets one male and female athlete at B standard for the Olympics 140 FIS points or lower. Conor Lyne is currently on 70 ish

khc

Fattes wrote: »

No Irish ski cross only the top 30 athletes male and female in ski cross can enter for the Olympics.

Ireland gets one male and female athlete at B standard for the Olympics 140 FIS points or lower. Conor Lyne is currently on 70 ish

What's the A standard?!

I guess it would be pretty hard for an Irish person from Kilteirnan to train ski cross up there!

Fattes

khc wrote: »

When do they announce the Irish competitors? What happened to Kirsten McGarry - has she retired?

SAI are working on developing new talent and the athletes being selected are all under 22 for Sochi!

It's bloody hard for aul FIS racers like me to keep up. Kirsty won the Inferno race in Murre. Last year YouTube it!!

Fattes

khc wrote: »

What's the A standard?!

I guess it would be pretty hard for an Irish person from Kilteirnan to train ski cross up there!

A standard is top 500 in the world I am pretty sure at 1 stage Kirsty was an A standard athlete.

B standard is sub 140 FIS points

If you want to meet the ski standard for even Slalom or GS you have to be on snow. And probably full time Trust me in this I know more than anyone how hard it is in the FIS circuit

khc

Fattes wrote: »

SAI are working on developing new talent and the athletes being selected are all under 22 for Sochi!

It's bloody hard for aul FIS racers like me to keep up. Kirsty won the Inferno race in Murre. Last year YouTube it!!

Sorry to be ignorant - is that the Skiing Association? So is Kirsty left out because of her age? Isn't she only a young thing?!

What were you doing in Sochi? Are you going to go to the Olympics? I would really love to go but it's too far away, wish they would hold them somewhere in Europe again

khc

Just looked up that race :eek:

Fattes

Yeah sorry should have explained that SAI is what you thought

Kirsty is 29, working as a full time physio now and a super skier and ambassador for the sport but, you have to be at it full time to keep up with some of the up and coming racers to even be competitive.

Got a chance to go out to Sochi for a test event last winter really strange place Watch out for Woodsy in the slope style

khc

29 seems so young to me - can't believe that's "over the hill" in a sense! When you say FIS - is that the World Cup?

I wonder if we'll have any bobsleigh girls again. Vancouver was a great year to watch

tunguska

Fattes wrote: »

Ski cross is there
http://www.fis-ski.com/freestyle-skiing/ski-cross/news-multimedia/news/article=sochi-ski-and-snowboard-cross-course-revealed.html

Cool. Was brilliant in Vancouver in 2010, Rock n Roll skiing for sure. Would love to be going but Sochi is just too far off the beaten track.

khc

tunguska wrote: »

Cool. Was brilliant in Vancouver in 2010, Rock n Roll skiing for sure. Would love to be going but Sochi is just too far off the beaten track.

I hope that with all the stuff that's happening over there at the moment, it won't put a dampener on the events

Fattes

Not so much over the hill more to do with time & training v the need to make a living! She is still quick as hell and for runs a lot of FIS races in the port du soleil. She would hand you me and most their arss in any race

FIS races are full time racers you could have anything from World Cup racers to up and coming young guns and local legends. Food chain is World Cup, Europa cup & then FIS races. I was at a race last year where 80% if the field were sub 40 points Lyndsey Vonn has 35 slalom points!!!

Slalom racers peak in there mid to late 20's. GS racers mid 20's to early 30's and downhill racers Mid 30's

Fattes

Are you going to go to the Olympics?

Maybe as a spectator Unlikely though as I am out in the Alps from Jan - April, racing, working and teaching.

I ski with 7 athletes that will be competing on a regular basis, 2 Ski Cross, 3 Slopestyle /Half pipe athletes, 2 Alpine, GS, Slalom, Super G. Oh and the head judge for the freestyle events & world freeride tour is a really good friend & I shred with him when I get half a chance you never know who is with him when you meet him at the lift! Even ended up in the company of Kaj Zackrisson a few years back in Verbier!!!

tunguska

Did Lo lo Jones make the Olympic Bobsleigh team in the end?

Fattes

tunguska: prefer her on the sprint track but she would be great for the viewing alone

tunguska

Fattes wrote: »

tunguska: prefer her on the sprint track but she would be great for the viewing alone

Yeah her presence would definitely boost the profile of the sport, which could only be a good thing. Although she has managed to piss off a few people in the sport already with some of her antics on twitter. Im pretty sure shes qualified but I cant find any official confirmation on that.