Saturday, July 31, 2010

WINTER OLYMPICS BLOG: Team GB are as well simply gratified

Skeleton sliders excepted, it has not been a good Winter Olympic Games for Britain.

Around a half of its team of 52 who have competed so far have finished in the bottom half of their events.

Here is what they said of their performances, according to Team GB"s official news service.

No comment is required.

john eley

Not good enough: Eley (2nd right) follows Canadian Charles Hamelin in his heat of the 1000m

"Teenager gets Team GB off to a spectacular start" headlines British Olympic Association newsletter on Ellie Koylander, 24th out of 28 in the ladies moguls.

"I am feeling absolutely incredible right now," she said.

Jon Eley, short track speed skater, after his relay team finished fourth and last in its heat: "To qualify for the Olympic Games was a great achievement."

Lesley McKenna, who fell on both runs of the half pipe and finished 30th and last: "I am going to continue coaching snowboard. I"ve got a lot of experience to give away."

Lee Jackson, who finished 55th in the 10km and 56th in the 12.5km cross country, after finishing 66th in the 20km: "I have really enjoyed the last week and I can walk away happy."

Sarah Ainsworth, who did not land either of her jumps cleanly and finished 22nd in the freestyle aerials: "The atmosphere was pretty cool but a bit nerve wracking. I"ve really enjoyed it."

Ed Drake, Alpine skier, after finishing 32nd in the Super G event: "It was good fun today. It was really cool and I really enjoyed it."

And after finishing 33rd in the downhill of the Super Combined: "I just haven"t been that quick. It was pretty cool, though."

adam Pengilly

Too little too late: Pengilly

Fiona Hughes, after finishing 68th in the freestyle cross country: "I felt I skied pretty well. I was just annoyed that I got caught behind a girl on the last corner down into the stadium and tripped over my skis."

Dan Money, brakeman in the two-man bob that crashed on its first competitive run: "This can happen. It"s bobsleigh. It"s not ballet dancing."

Andrew Young, after he finished 74th in his first cross country competition: "I just couldn"t ski as fast as I wanted to, and that is a little bit annoying."

Elise Christie, who was fourth in her heat of the short track speed skating 1500m heat and was eliminated: "The race didn"t go as I expected. That wasn"t physical, it was all mental and that"s a bit annoying."

Adam Pengilly, last year"s world silver medalist in the skeleton, who finished 18th: "It"s been a tough week. I started to improved but, unfortunately, it was too little too late."

joannie rochette

Emotional: Canadian Rochette

Say a little prayer for Canadian Joannie Rochette, the world silver medalist, before she skates the short programme of the ladies" figure skating tonight.

Her mother Therese, died of a heart attack shortly after arriving in Vancouver to watch her daughter.

Earlier in the Games, Jeannie had been quoted in the local paper saying: "I don"t want to define my life by what happens here. I want to be happy in my performance and happy in my career."

Remarkably, she intends to go ahead with her competition but whatever happens, Vancouver will forever define her life now.

Roger Jackson, chief executive of Canada"s Own The Podium, that has invested $29million (18m) annually in ensuring that its team at the Winter Olympics has its most successful Games on home soil mission already successful has warned that he can promise only $10m each year before Sochi in 2014.

How much of the 6.5m invested in Britain"s largely unsuccessful team skeleton sliders excluded will continue to be invested?

More significantly how much of the 650m in Lottery and government money invested in success in London in 2012 will continue to be invested going forwards towards Rio in 2016.

It does not bear thinking.

More...NEIL WILSON: The naff slogan that came back to haunt the Canadian dreamWINTER OLYMPICS BLOG: Best of Brits Williams on the verge of historyWINTER OLYMPICS BLOG: Women"s ice hockey could be dropped

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