Desmond thrilled she "didn’t do anything ridiculous and end up on my face"
Ireland’s Jack Gower dejected after failing to finish
Team Ireland’s Elsa Desmond finished her Olympic campaign on a high with another clean run in the Women’s Singles Luge at the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
The first time Olympian finished her third run with a time of 1:02.254, which was her second fastest on the track. Added to run one and two, she finished her event in 33rd position with an overall time of 3:03.07.719.
The 24-year-old - the first Irish athlete to finish the competition, was thrilled with the experience. “I’ve dreamed of this as long as I can remember and I’m here and I did it and I didn’t do anything ridiculous and end up on my face.
"Why would I not be absolutely ecstatic? I know my parents are at home watching and wish they were here and will be so so proud. I can’t wait to talk to them, I know my mum will be in tears.”
Meanwhile Jack Gower was one of 13 competitors who failed to finish the Men’s Super-G today at the Winter Olympic Games in Yangqing. The Super-G event combines the speed of the downhill but includes technical turns similar to the Giant Slalom. The spacing between the gates allows the speed to build, but with a total vertical drop of 645m over a distance of 2267m contributing to the speed also. Gower explained that there is a fine balance between taking risks, pushing to the limit, and staying upright in these speed events.
“In the speed events there’s always some back and forth on the mental side. You’ve got to prepare yourself to take every risk you can and put all the other thoughts of injury and everything outside your head.
"It’s always a mental challenge in these two events, the speed events, when injuries are so prevalent. It’s a constant battle on that side, but that goes with the ground.”
