Olympic Update: Another day at the office

It was another ten hour day at the sliding centre, doing hill repeats. Hard work, but I think we all had fun. I got my whole team fed somehow -- a challenge yesterday. Apparently not every team leader had my success, which makes me feel bad for hosts that didn't get to be on my team.

MIX Area

Yesterday we had women's luge qualifier runs, and I was stationed at the finish of the course again, but a little higher up than my first day. Their medal event is today. I was standing right there when Reghan Lauscher finished her second run. The crowd went wild! Lots of Canadian supporters at the Luge track.

It was Romania that needed some encouragement yesterday though. The very last slide of the day ended early when she missteered a corner (in my section!) and flipped her sled. She was okay, but she came to a stop in the Thunderbird so she didn't get a qualifying time.

We have a whole other team of volunteers that take care of operations on the track. So when someone flips their sled, they have to jump in behind it on the run-out (which is steeply inclined to help the athletes scrub speed) so that it doesn't come back at athletes still stuck in the track. I'm glad my job isn't to stop speeding sleds on an icy luge course.

Round 1 - hit the black button and find out if you're green: good to go, or red: doping control

Just a quick note about future events, since so far it's been all luge, all the time. In morning training, we had men's skeleton. Now that sport is nuts. Make sure you catch some of it. Lot's of volunteers in the know are already getting pumped for bobsleigh. Apparently it's pretty specatuclar to see live. You can buy tickets right at the event if you're in town, so think about it.

Jon Daly, US Skeleton - practice run

On the gondola back down after our day, a fellow-smurf told me that the track will be hosting an open day sometime in March. For 50 dollars you get all the training you need and two slides on a skeleton sled. How cool is that? Later at the hotel bar, Nancy (I think it was Nancy ...) told me that in Calgary, during just such an event, a young lady was invited to come along for a double date. She didn't think she'd go through with it. But she found some courage and slid down the course. Only a couple years later, she was competing at the Olympics. Imagine that!!

The sun is trying to peek out of the clouds and it even snowed last night, right in the village. Should be another amazing day on the mountain. One of these days maybe I'll get to ski!

Whistler and Peak-to-Peak on a beautful sunny day. Live Olympic coverage in the Skiers' Plaza