WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014 SPORTS Vanessa-Mae gives little to Olympics

KRASNAYA POLYANA: Don’t give up the day job, down the same snow that the elite skiers carve down ver was just 0.07 seconds. “I expected to be last but, “I think I slightly underestimated how much work Vanessa-Mae. The Sochi Games were good to the diva is just an honor and a privilege,” she said. “So, you you know, at the end of the day the Olympics is a great goes into being an athlete,” she said. She also is fortu- of violin classical pop. She now gets to call herself an know, when I get to even train with some of them for opportunity,” Vanessa-Mae said after her first run. “My nate that her father is from Thailand, which enabled Olympian having survived - the word “compete” isn’t like two runs, sometimes I’m already a little bit like, main purpose for being here was to really have a good her to compete under the Thai flag and with his sur- really applicable - the giant slalom. ‘Ooh, that’s so cool!’ So imagine to be in the same race time, to improve my skiing in a very, very short amount name, Vanakorn. Had she been born Swiss. After gingerly completing both runs, she applied as them.” of time.” In which case, why not just take ski lessons some lipstick, checked her look in a pocket mirror, like other mere mortals? Using the Olympics to EXOTIC NATIONS strapped on a watch from a sponsor, pushed up her BEST OF BEST improve one’s parallel turns cheapens them, mocking Austrian or from any other skiing power, she coat sleeve to make sure it was visible on her wrist, But what do the get in return? the idea that the games are the pinnacle of sport. wouldn’t have made their Olympic teams, because and then went out to bathe in the attention of the From a competitive standpoint, absolutely nothing. Other competitors were plenty supportive of those countries have young kids who ski steep slopes world’s media.She laughed for the microphones. She When Tina Maze hit the slope, you knew that you Vanessa-Mae. “That’s part of the Olympic Games to better and more aggressively than Vanessa-Mae did. “I said how “really cool” it all was. She slipped in how she were watching the best of the best. Bullying the have so many people competing and so (many) dif- was lucky that the Olympics, you know, allow exotic plans to celebrate her Olympic participation by slalom course, aggressively thwacking past the gates, ferent countries,” said Swiss racer Dominique Gisin, nations, for people like me who have day jobs, we can donating “a heap of money” to animal charities. And the Slovenian embodied the Olympic motto - “Faster, who tied for the gold with Maze in downhill and fin- still manage to qualify for the Olympics,” Vanessa-Mae the whole while, a man who followed along at her Higher, Stronger” - as she raced to gold. ished 10th in giant slalom. “Yesterday I saw an athlete said. So here she is, staying in the Olympic village, side - he wouldn’t say who he was - made sure she Top competitors hate to lose. They sulk. They beat from Togo. Yeah, that’s cool, I think. That’s the amazing rubbing shoulders with the best. “It’s been really chill, was holding a branded pair of skis when speaking to themselves up. They cry. They vow they’ll do better part of the Olympics Games, to give all of the people you know? You’re just sharing a table with some guy camera and that the manufacturer’s name was clearly next time. But Vanessa-Mae didn’t seem to care that from all over the world a chance to compete.” Well, who just won gold and some girl who just won gold. I visible. All in all, it looked like a pretty fruitful day for she was last of the 67 finishers, that she was short on yes. But it’s preferable that Olympians at least look like mean they are gods and goddesses.” Vanessa-Mae Inc. And, if you’re Vanessa-Mae, an style and slowest of those who finished in both runs. they’re giving it their all. Vanessa-Mae is entitled to be As for herself, Vanessa-Mae said: “I’m a hobby skier.” absolute hoot. Or that her combined time for both was 50 seconds at the Sochi Games. She took part in European races In which case, stick with the violin. Leave competitive “The Olympics is like the greatest show on Earth slower than Maze’s. That is an eternity in ski racing. The to qualify, making the January deadline only narrow- skiing and the Olympics to those who really take and to just share the same snow, to be able to slide margin between Maze’s gold and Anna Fenninger’s sil- ly, “by my chihuahua’s whisker,” as she put it. them seriously. — AP Bergsma knocks off Kramer in 10,000m

SOCHI: Jorrit Bergsma wouldn’t go along with the sto- ryline. This was supposed to be about ’s redemption, the place where the world’s greatest dis- tance skater finally made up for his incredible blunder four year ago. Instead, Kramer was dealt another crushing disappointment. With a stunner of a finishing kick, Bergsma upset his favored countryman to win speedskating Olympic gold in the 10,000 meters yes- terday with the fastest time ever at sea level. “I understand that people really wanted to see Sven win here,” Bergsma said. “But I skate for myself. I came here to win gold. I wasn’t going to give away the gold for Sven’s story.” Kramer gave away a sure gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games with a botched lane change. This MOSCOW: Russian Julia Lipnitskaia waves to journalists upon her arrival in the time, he simply got beat by - almost inevitably at the Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow yesterday. — AP Sochi Games - a fellow Dutchman. Bergsma’s time of 12 minutes, 44.45 seconds was Preview less than 3 seconds off Kramer’s world record, set at high altitude in 2007, and shattered the Olympic Russia look to Lipnitskaia record of 12:58.55 by South Korea’s Lee Seung-hoon four years ago. Kramer settled for silver in 12:49.02. The bronze went to 37-year-old , the old- for third gold est speedskating medalist in 86 years. “This is really bitter, because I never took this into SOCHI: Teen sensation Julia Lipnitskaia will the Grand Prix series. “No-one can get a account,” Kramer said. “Turns out, I simply was not be looking to lift the deflated spirits of sense of what Yu-Na can bring to the table good enough.” While the order of finish didn’t go as home fans after Yevgeny Plushenko’s shock but she’s still excellent and in excellent expected, the guys on the podium were no surprise at withdrawal from the Olympics in the shape so you can really not count her out,” all. It was another orange sweep, the fourth 1-2-3 fin- SOCHI: Gold medallist Jorrit Bergsma competes in the men’s 10,000-meter speedskating race women’s event starting today. said US champion . ish for the at Adler Arena, its speedskat- at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the . — AP More history beckons for the 15-year- The , the most successful ing medal haul climbing to 19 out of a possible 27. old who became the youngest female fig- country in women’s figure skating with sev- Bergsma’s last five laps were all under 30 seconds, Bergsma said. “Then I realized he couldn’t hold on to There have only been 10 medal sweeps in all of ure skater in 78 years to win a gold amid en gold, finished off the podium for the a pace Kramer simply couldn’t match skating in the those laps.” On his cool-down lap, Kramer stopped to Olympic speedskating history - four of them produced wild celebrations after their team success first time in 46 years in Vancouver. final pair with Lee. “I was doing 29-second laps and shake hands with his countryman. But he could barely in Sochi by the amazing Dutch. They have crushed the at the Iceberg Skating Palace just over a Gold, and 15-year-old was able to hold on to those late in the race,” Bergsma muster a smile on the medal podium and didn’t hang previous record for overall medals at one games (13 week ago. She could become not only the newcomer Polina Edmunds will be bidding said. Kramer had already captured his second straight around long for the victory parade, leaving the arena by the East Germans in 1988) and tied another mark first Russian to win the women’s title but to rectify that. Italy’s , a 5,000 gold in Sochi, but he really wanted to make up to Bergsma and De Jong. In recent days, Kramer said on Tuesday with their sixth victory in nine events, also the first individual skater to win two former world champion, is also a challenger for the 10,000 victory that got away in Vancouver. he’s been bothered by problems with his thigh and matching the Soviet Union’s six golds at the Squaw gold medals at the same Olympics. if the 27-year-old can manage to stay on During a routine crossover on the backstretch, back. He needed to be at his absolute best to beat Valley Games in 1960. It would be a third title for Russia after her feet unlike her two previous Games in Kramer’s coach, Gerard Kemkers, absent-mindedly Bergsma. “Those are facts and absolutely no excuse,” Bergsma was feted on Twitter by his fiance, American speedskater Heather Richardson. “GOLD in Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010. directed him to the wrong lane. The skater dutifully Kramer said. “It cost too much effort to skate effort- the 10k for my amazing fiance,” she wrote, “so happy pairs’ success, in which they led a 1-2 ahead Lipnitskaia won silver behind Asada, 23, followed the instructions, leading to a disqualification. lessly. I had to fight too hard to get into a rhythm and of Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov. at the ISU Grand Prix final in Japan in could not really get there.” for him!!!!” Lee took the gold, even though his time was 4 sec- As expected, the American speedskaters went Plushenko’s withdrawal before the men’s December. However Asada, Kostner, onds slower than Kramer’s. In his fifth Olympics, De Jong won his fourth event meant that the Sochi Games was the Wagner and Gold were all left trailing in her 10,000 medal with a time of 13:07.19. He’s now got another day without a medal. Seventeen-year-old “Four years ago was tougher than this. Here I was Emery Lehman of Oak Park, Ill., finished 10th - more first time since Sarajevo 1984 that the USSR wake in the team event. beaten by someone better,” Kramer said. “I have to two bronzes to go along with a gold and a silver, or post-Soviet Russia won no medals in the As Lipnitskaia returned to Moscow to becoming the first male skater to claim medals at four than 44 seconds off the winning pace. The high school accept this, however tough it is.” senior got sick in a bucket labeled “Vomit Bin” after he men’s event. focus on her training, the American Smooth and relaxed in the early laps, Kramer was different Winter Games. The only older skater to win an Olympic medal was 38-year-old Julius Skutnabb, a was done with the 25-lap race. A bronze in the ice dance on Monday women, winners of team bronze, were hon- grimacing in a desperate search for more speed the silver medalist in the 5,000 at the 1928 Winter Games. Patrick Meek of Chicago, who got into the 14-man following a stunning display by Elena ing their skills on the ice in Austria and closer he got to the end. His lap times climbed steadi- “I thought I could go a lot faster,” De Jong said. field as an alternate, was 11th. In the middle of his Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov helped Germany. ly higher. When the bell rang for the final trip around news conference, Bergsma got a congratulatory call appease the crowd who would like nothing Asada and the Japanese women headed “The conditions were much tougher than I thought.” the oval, Bergsma already was celebrating in the Lee faded badly over the final laps, finishing fourth in from the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte. “That was better than to conclude figure skating at to Armenia, after finishing fifth in the team infield. “He kept matching me for a long time,” kind of special,” Bergsma said. So was his race. — AP the Games the way they started with a event. “I wasn’t strong enough mentally in 13:11.68. gold. Standing in her way are Olympic the team event,” said Asada, but insisted champion Kim Yu-Na of South Korea, bid- she wasn’t even looking at her rivals. “After ding to become just the third woman to Vancouver every year there are new ath- Ski aces in three-way win consecutive titles, and Japan’s Mao letes and new skaters. It’s my own competi- Asada, runner-up four years ago in tion that I’m focusing on.” Vancouver. Asada, the first woman to land the triple battle for giant slalom “I heard a lot about Julia Lipnitskaia. She Axel three times at one event in Vancouver, just debuted in the senior level, but this is said she was not planning to attempt three my last Olympic Games. I think the experi- in Sochi. “I will attempt the triple axel once ROSA KHUTOR: US ski star Ted Ligety and French ence here is different for both of us,” said in the short and once in the free. There is tyro Alexis Pinturault will get a second chance at Kim. The South Korean’s world record some risk involved with the axel but I want Olympic glory in today’s giant slalom, but with scores across the board in her stunning to do it. “I did it twice in Vancouver (in the Austrian hot shot Marcel Hirscher now in play. performance in Vancouver four years ago free) but I’m only doing it once in Sochi. I Ligety and Pinturault were widely expected to still stand. just don’t feel like I need to do it twice. The win the super-combined event last week but in But the 23-year-old’s season has been short programme takes place today with the typical Olympic fashion, forecasts were thrown up hampered by a foot injury, and she missed free skate final the following day. — AFP in the air and neither landed anywhere near the podium. Now the two skiers, ranked third and second in ‘Exotic’ skiers defy the World Cup giant slalom rankings, could make good for Friday’s debacle. But they will face a fresh-faced Hirscher, who odds to take to slopes only flew into Sochi on Sunday and has had a few more days to rest and train quietly in Austria, away ROSA KHUTOR: They cross the finish line India was suspended from the Games from any Olympic hype. The 24-year-old currently well behind the favorites, but for a whole movement due to corruption allegations. leads World Cup rankings and won the crystal group of ski racers from Brazil, Togo or the One better-known athlete competing- globe in 2012. US Virgin Islands, making it to the bottom is although more renowned for her success as Still, Ligety, as reigning world champion and like winning. Little funding, few results to a violinist than for her skiing ability-was winner of last year’s crystal globe, looks like the show for their efforts and even fewer fans: Vanessa Mae, racing under the name one to beat on the slopes of Rosa Khutor. These girls have none of the support Vanessa Vanakorn for Thailand. The His giant slalom prowess has earned him praise enjoyed by stars such as Mikaela Shiffrin, Singapore-born British former child prodigy from his closest rivals, including an admiring KRASNAYA POLYANA: United States’ Ted Ligety Anna Fenninger or Maria Hoefl-Riesch. finished last of those who made it down Hirscher, and he has topped the podium in three makes a jump in this file photo. (Inset) Alexis But they all shared the same emotions as both runs. Unlike several competitors who out of six races this season. Pinturault — AP they filed past dozens of journalists from switched allegiance because they could not The cool American-already Olympic champion Two-time overall World Cup winner Hirscher around the world after the women’s giant qualify for their own national teams, Sophia in Turin in 2006, although in super-combined-has said he was as ready as he could be to get his first slalom yesterday-happiness at being at the Ralli hails from and trains in Greece. also shown he thrives on the pressure of big ever Olympic medals. “I’m really relaxed. I’ve Olympics, awe at competing with their idols “It’s big for us to be here,” said the 25- events, pocketing no less than three gold medals trained really well during these last two weeks. and hope that they could inspire young- year-old from Naousa, near Thessaloniki. at world championships last year. “Whatever you can try we’ve done it and there’s sters to follow their lead. “We are not so good skiers because we “I’m just going to push hard today, I know nothing more we can do right now.” The world sil- “That was way more exciting than I don’t have snow all year round in Greece so where my skiing can be and this season I’ve had ver-medallist in giant slalom was also adamant he thought it would be, I just feel so happy to we try to make the best of it.” lots of ups and downs in other races and results, would not allow a result like four years ago in be here. I’m really overwhelmed,” said but still put together fast runs in giant slalom. Vancouver. “It’s just full attack. I hope I never get a Jasmine Campbell, competing at the STARSTRUCK “There are a lot of guys who can be fast for sure, fourth place at Olympics again!” Olympics for the first time for the US Virgin Many were more than a little starstruck but myself, Hirscher and Pinturault are going to be Aside from the top three, France’s Thomas Islands. Alessia Afi Dipol looks and sounds at the thought of competing with the likes the tougher guys to beat,” he predicted. Pinturault, Fanara could make it on to the podium. But with like an Italian, but yesterday she raced for of Tina Maze of Slovenia, who won yester- 22, is still chasing his first medal at big events but Olympics throwing up several unexpected names from four years ago when he won three Olympic the west African country of Togo. “It’s an day’s race-her second gold of the Games. has been strong all season in this discipline. so far, Norway’s in-form Kjetil Jansrud could also medals, including downhill gold, but leaves Sochi honor for me because Sochi is the first “It’s a little bit strange because until yes- complete a Sochi treble after downhill bronze and without a single podium. Olympic Winter Games for Togo. It has been terday I watched them on TV and now I’m HUNGRY FOR TITLE super-G gold. In 2010, he won silver in the giant Germany’s Felix Neureuther also looked unlikely really fun,” she said. here with them,” said Dipol. “They are the And already after the super-combined, where slalom. Jansrud’s teammate Aksel Lund Svindal will to compete today after a car accident last week on The bubbly 18-year-old used to compete stars, they’re in the World Cup, they’re my he skied out in the slalom part, he showed he was miss the race on the other hand, preferring to head his way to take his flight for Sochi. The 29-year-old for India but switched to Togo-where her idols from when I was young,” added hungry for a title. “Now it is up to me to bounce suffered mild whiplash and bruising in the crash father owns a sports clothing factory-after Portugal’s Swiss-born Camille Dias. —AP home and rest following allergy problems. back. I have to do it, as any champion is able to do.” The Norwegian ace hoped to repeat the feat and had to cut short training on Monday. — AFP