It was time. World Championships was here.

This was my 2nd World Champs the first one last year in Konigssee, Germany. This one was in Lake Placid, USA.

World Champs sliding

I have spent a bit of time here in Lake Placid. They are very welcoming to athletes with no track, it is one of the cheaper places to slide which for team NZ is important. We had a big team Ben and I, NZ athletes, we were also joined with Rindy from Jamaica and Michaela from Czech Republic, Wolfram our coach, a friend of his from Germany and then Jon who helps with my training and of course Simon. Never had we had such a big team it was great and very multinational.

I was ready. All the experimentation had been done. I had tried different warm ups, push combinations, mental exercises, music choices now I had to ‘Just do it’. I’ve heard that somewhere before!

I was number 14. The first run went OK I was a little nervous but felt like I could handle myself. A small skid at the top but otherwise nothing major. I placed 11th. The next run was even better I felt total relaxed I tried to mend my mistakes from the first run, which I did. By the end of the day I was up into 9th position. This is where I wanted to be, in the top 10. I felt I could correct my mistakes for the next day.

I wasn’t nervous but slept badly the next day I didn’t feel as relaxed. I took to the start line 9th, the run was a bit messier and I dropped back to 11th place. I tried to put myself in the same place as I had the day before but I couldn’t. The last run was my worst. I hit a couple of walls and my speeds were slow only 116kmph. I dropped 2 more places to end up 13th. I was very disappointed as I felt that I was capable of remaining in the top 10.

However on further reflection I had placed 2 placings above my world ranking and done 3 pb’s throughout the 2 days.

Maybe I just high expectations of myself. It makes for disappointments but also makes me want to push harder. I am already looking forward to next year.

The good news was that Ben my team mate placed 3rd. Bronze medalist at the World Championships. He slid well, handled the pressure he put on himself and achieved his top 3 goal. WELL DONE BEN.

And so onto time for reflection, a short holiday and some sunshine. After which its back to the grindstone.

This season I could not have achieved what I did without the support of my sponsors. They are few, but extremely important and I cannot thank them enough.

THANK YOU

WESTERN PACIFIC HELICOPTERS, ICEBREAKER and 2XU.

Western Pacific Helicopters

Icebreaker Logo

2XU

So for the last World Cup race we were in Calgary

Calgary sunrise

I had been here at the beginning of the season to get some of the first runs of the season in. When I did those first runs back then in October, even though I was trying to prepare myself for how fast it was going to feel. It was still a surprise and it felt like the track was racing past me. After a whole season of sliding I was back in Calgary and throughout the season having achieved speeds of over 130kmph when I got back here 120kmph felt quite sedate! Although the track was a bit bumpy and a bit of a head rattler.

If there was any way of simulating heading down a track at 120kmph to keep my brain up to speed throughout the off season I would pleased to hear it. Although Simon’s idea of strapping me to the roof of the car and driving around Wanaka doesn’t seem that appealing, perhaps he is on to something!

We had just 6 runs then race day so the week flew by pretty quickly and we were staying with friends which also helps to make us more relaxed, thank you family Dominikovich. There were no such mishaps like in Whistler with my sled taking a run all by itself. I was ready.

Race day arrived. So i pushed like a snail in my first run but had a good run and was placed 15th after the first run. On the 2nd run I pushed much faster and had a worse run I ended up picking up some spots to come 12th. My 2nd run was the 10th fastest so I was knocking on the door of the top 10′s again. If only I can get them both together and on both runs.

Practicing ice climbing at Lake Minnewanka!!!!

With a few more days training in Calgary before heading to Lake Placid it is time to knuckle down to some hard work before as well as a short trip to Canmore to indulge in some mountain therapy. Just looking that is. Snowboarding will have to wait. Although I was lucky enough to see Sarah Murphy, a NZ Olympic biathlete and newcomer JP Lilburne both compete in Canmore. It was good to cheer on the Kiwi’s.

Sarah Murphy, NZ Olympic biathlete racing in Canmore.

So whats next. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS which I have qualified for with my races throughout this season. I have a current World Ranking of 14 so this should be my start number in Lake Placid. BRING IT ON.

Whistler – the fastest track in the World. Not quite so for me. My fastest speeds have still been achieved in St Moritz but 133kmph probably nothing to be sniffed at. Although I was definitely looking for more.

Tom the sled Doctor - Thank you Tom

In the ended I placed 15th in this race, my expectation was still high despite it being my first race here in Whistler however I was not sure how I would go as it depended how quickly I could learn the track. . There isn’t really many places on this track that you don’t want to be concentrating on what you are doing because the consequences mean losing lots of time and can sometimes cause a few bumps and bruises. So it was full focus for the week.

It was a strange week the ice was slow for a few of the training days as the Bobsleigh athletes thought it was too fast. This made it pretty difficult to try and get corners consistently right. A protest was made by the skeleton nations that the track was too slow. Who would ever have thought that would be said about Whistler.

I had a slight mishap on the last day of training where as I was pushing my sled it popped out of the groove, I subsequently stepped on it and then fell on the ground and tried to grab my sled but as I was on my knees heading towards the short wall it just didn’t quite manage to stay in my fingers. So off my sled went all the way down the track by itself. Apparently it took some interesting lines with a few spins in corner 12. It arrived back at the top with Martin an NZ bobsledder (Thank you Martin) with a few bent bits and a few chips but generally having survived.

So race morning was spent in the sled menders getting some remodelling and plastic surgery. It was back to new or so I hoped.

Race day came and the track was back to being fast. My first run was slow in the push but my 2nd run much better I ended up moving from 17th to 15th with 2 personal best downtimes on race day. At least I couldn’t ask for more on but I know there is more speed in there. I’m excited for the next time I am here.

Onwards to Calgary for the last World Cup race.

Ben and I with our medals.

Last season St Moritz was a good place for New Zealand skeleton racing. Both Ben Sandford and I achieved New Zealand’s best ever World Cup results when I achieved a 6th place and Ben placed 3rd.

The St Moritz World Cup in 2012 also proved to be successful with both of us placing 1 positions higher. Ben 2nd and me 5th (well joint 5th).

It was to be a snowy day come race day, AGAIN, despite the amazing weather that we had had during the week of training. With most races you want to be near the start of the field as the track is prepared specially for the race and it tends to deteriorate as the race progresses, St Moritz is different as the track warms up it gets faster. Although come race day it was snowing, this often means the track slows down as you go through the race due to the accumulation of snow that we have to slide through. I was number 15 off. Was it going to get faster as it got warmer or slower because of the snow? Nothing I could do about that and decided that I just had to slide and enjoy this natural track. I think that I was lucky enough that it did get faster and off I went on my run.  A few mistakes down the track but I arrived at the bottom in 5th position. (well joint 5th) who’d have thought after sliding 1800m of track that 2 people would have ended up with the same time to 100ths of a second.

St Moritz in the sun - after all the snow.

The snow started to fall heavier and heavier – I was preparing for the 2nd run. Then they delayed. OK another 15 mins to wait. I had to keep my mind focused and decided if I could iron out my mistakes than I would be happy no matter where that placed me.
Then they announced that the 2nd run was cancelled and the race result would stand as the first run. Took me a few moments and then realised that meant I had placed 5th (well joint 5th) the best result for me and by a New Zealand female skeleton racer, EVER. In skeleton the podium goes to 6, so I was on the podium.

Things were on the up – but still room for improvement. Next year the World Championships are in St Moritz. Can Ben and I go one better next year as well. Watch this space

Next stop Whistler – the fastest track in the world.

Thanks to all sponsors it can’t be done without you: Western Pacific Helicopters, Icebreaker, 2XU compression.

Wonder how this bike is to ride?

On our trip through Zurich I came across this bike, its not too rusty so doesn’t look like it has been there a while but clearly would not be the easiest bike to ride.

Me in the Leaders board for 10 sled

Koenigssee was where the World Championships was held last year.

I had a mixed time racing there last season and it was to be the same this time. At the World Champs I had some good runs and some terrible runs. What I took from that was I could do it but I needed to get it consistently right.

My first run was bad I skidded and scrubbed a lot of time. I had to wait to see if I would get another run. Only the top 20 get to go again. My time 54.98 I was 20th, if I had been 0.01 slower then I would have missed out, as much as a blink of an eye.

However, I did get to go again and I had absolutely nothing to lose. I relaxed visualised a smooth run in which I didn’t skid and went to the start line. It was much better, I mean much better, if felt good too. 53.55. Where would that place me. Well the next 10 sleds didn’t go faster and so I kept climbing up results I ended up 9th As the leader stays in the leader box I got lots of facetime on the TV. So I popped on my Icebreaker hat to advertise one of my sponsors as much as possible and waited for someone to over take me. The 2nd run was the 7th fastest overall so slowly I am getting there.

Next stop St Moritz – where I got my top result last year.

World Cup Altenberg

Altenberg was the first race after Christmas. I had never set foot on or even near this track. As a nation without a track we have to continually ask to slide on other peoples tracks – mostly  we are begging to the Germans, Canadians or the USA. Sometimes it is easier than others. Unfortunately I was not able to get extra runs on this track during Christmas and New Year so the first runs were going to be during race week. This shouldn’t be a problem after all I have been sliding for a few years now and should be able to safely get down. However, this is Altenberg, it is known to be one of the most technical tracks on the circuit. When I was asking people about it they all started with ‘well I was really scared of it to start with, oh no but honestly it is fine!!’ OK great I thought 8 runs on the most technical track and then World Cup race here we come.

First day the track was really slow – and I was the slowest.

The 2^nd day the track was about 6 seconds faster  – so like a new track all over again. I had heard about omega, quite a troublesome corner that if you don’t get out of it right it can throw you off your sled slightly or at the worst flip you over.

OK well I went for the worst scenario flipping all the way over onto my back. The 2^nd run that day was slightly better. So the next day I was determined to get it right – not to be, 1^st run pretty much flipped again but not over onto my back. Wolfram my coach said I just needed to steer harder, which is what I did on the 2^nd run I safely got through but it wasn’t fast.

altenberg omega A

altenberg omega B

altenberg omega C

So the last day of training loomed I had to get it right or it would be in my head that I couldn’t manage it. But the snow came down, we went to the track. The decision was made training was cancelled. ‘But you don’t understand, I need another go!!’

My 8 runs were down to 6. I told myself I knew it was possible. After all not everyone was flipping over so it is physically possible.

What would I do. I went and stood in that corner and watched and watched and did it in my head over and over and over and over and over and over. . . . . . . . . ok so you get the picture.

Its race day and snowing I was number 21 off – with the snow coming down this means that it was likely that the track would get slower. I had absolutely nothing to lose. I was going to push from the start with all my energy jump on and enjoy.

Which is what I did – I got to the end and I was lying in 12^th – unbelievable. Only to discover that they were going to cancel the 1^st run due to the snow. I did it right the first time and so why shouldn’t I do it again. I didn’t quite get omega right but I didn’t flip over either. I got to the bottom. I was 9^th with the 3^rd fastest push time. Even more unbelievable, the first time ever in Altenberg and 9^th in a World Cup. I was proud that I had managed to slide well against the best in the World.

Sometimes it is the small things that give you the confidence. It wasn’t a win but it was the knowledge that I could race against the best. Onwards and upwards.

skiing in Altenberg

Oh yes people of Wanaka – when we complain that the snow is not that good at TC or Cardrona but at least we can still have some fun – check out this ski hill in Altenberg, it was looking a bit sorry for itself.

After the race in Winterberg and even during my wins in Lake Placid i was not feeling the love for skeleton, it just didn’t feel the same as it had last season. I felt I would head to Igls to slide one of the more gentle tracks so that I could just go and enjoy myself again. After all if you’re not having fun it’s not worth doing is one of the motos we have in our house at home.

Our Igls home - very grand

A few days in Igls and i was thinking that maybe I should carry on into 2012 to see what I could achieve. I would give myself another chance.

However, Christmas was coming ever closer and I thought I’d head to the UK for Christmas, I didn’t make it there last year to see Mum and Dad as Heathrow was shut and ended up in Germany so this year it was going to be just a short trip from Innsbruck to the UK. I would be home in a jiffy –well the weather had a different idea again. Having not really been that cold the whole of the season and it only snowing significantly once- Winterberg race day – it decided that it would dump it down in Innsbruck the day I tried to leave.

The snow kept falling – I could only see about 20m in front of me which probably made it quite difficult for the planes to land, they kept snow ploughing the runway. We were all ready to go. Despite there not being a plane in sight and then of course they cancelled our flight. After 4 hours in the queue to try and rebook it looked like it might be an Alps Christmas again.

I decided I wanted to see my mum and dad so I would just get on any flight to the UK – they say ‘One night in Bangkok makes the world go crazy’ but ‘One night in Gatwick airport makes me a little crazy and quite tired’ I even thought I’d try and stay in the morgue like hotel, where you get your own slot to lie in, for a few hours but even that was full – so I hunkered down under my jacket – normally I am travelling with my 80kgs worth of sled, runners and heaps of training gear so it is not normally a problem to jump into Bear Grylls style action and create my own accommodation and believe me I have stayed in a few airports in my skeleton racing career so I can make a mean man made shelter in any airport when needed but for my short trip home I was travelling incredibly light. Being an international airport there is always people lying around and I was very jealous of the guy next to me with his Thermarest and sleeping bag- should I offer him 10 euros for the loan of it for a few hours. Being a so called elite athlete in NZ has slightly different standards to many others.

So I didnt get lost

28 hours later and after an amusing 4 hour trip on a train with a drunk Irish couple who at 9am informed us that they might be just a little bit tipsy from the night before and then promptly cracked open a couple of cans. It certainly made the journey less mundane. After all is was Christmas and why not have cider for breakfast!

Christmas was a laugh, victorious at some board games, horrendously hopeless at others – it was nice to be with family.

3 generations for christmas

So now I find myself in Altenberg, preparing for the first race of 2012. It is said to be one of the most technically demanding tracks. I have never slid here before and I have 8 runs to get myself up to speed for race day. This is going to be a true test. It’s fair to say I am slightly nervous but at least that keeps me on my toes.

Winterberg is renowned for bad weather – it didn’t disappoint. Rain, more rain, snow, wind, sleet, more snow and more snow and . . . . well more snow then rain. The outrun was full of slush, our shoes were soaking wet most days. The joys of winter sport but it was my first World Cup race of the season. I was excited and a little nervous. How would I fair against the best people in the World of skeleton racing?

As it turned out it was not to be my best race. I struggled through the first days of training, for some reason it just did not seem to be clicking. I felt like I was fighting my sled not letting it go, the worse I was the worse it got due to the frustration. This is not a good thing in skeleton racing when you have to be totally relaxed.

The last day of training, although not being anywhere near the front of the field I got a few things right that gave me some hope. I just had to get them right and then improve on a few other things which would then see me do the best I could, which after all is the goal. Some days the best I can be is near the top some days the best I can be is further behind. As long as I give 100% then I can ask no more of myself.

I only made 19^th – it was a crazy race – we were all getting ready to start but the snow was still falling so they delayed the start and then we had to wait to see what would happen. Would it be cancelled, no they decided it would be a 1 run race. So it was just 1 run, to lay it all down in 1 go. This was the chance. Well I gave it 100% but it was a bad day. The good thing is things can only get better from here.

So we have break for Christmas before the next race in Altenberg, Germany. This is a track that I have never slid on before so it is going to be a test of my sliding skills and ability to learn. It doesn’t help that it is one of the more technical tracks on the circuit. Although I keep telling myself I have had some of my best results on new tracks so I’m not going to let that get it my way.

SO A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL WHEREEVER YOU MAY BE.

I thought as we had World Championships in Lake Placid the more that I slid there the better my chances at that race. So I decided to stay for one more week and get in a bit of training.

Training in Lake Placid

It was really all about training and well just training which is pretty much all that goes on in Lake Placid in the winter anyway I think. So every day I put on my Icebreaker and 2XU for the hard work outs.

Mont Royal Park

Although I did have a trip to Montreal to drop off Iain which involved a quick trip around Mont Royal park.

On driving back from Montreal on the side of the road there was a sign saying ‘Irene was here. And don’t come back’ I thought that was a bit harsh, poor Irene not welcome here but then realised they were talking about Hurricane Irene hence the reason for a few houses still looking a bit on the skew as well as a sign with how high the water was at that time – which is a lot of water!

Hurricane Irene

Here’s just a couple of photos from Lake Placid – where it still was above freezing most days and no snow on the ground quite unusual for that time of year.

not a snow cloud in sight

And now onto my first World Cup race in Winterberg.

New Zealand skeleton team myself, Ben, Iain, Michael. Photo Nathan Crumpton

Over the last 2 weeks I have been in Lake Placid, in upstate New York. This is where the World Championships are being held in February so it seemed a good idea to try and get some training time on this track – despite it meaning missing the start of the World Cup circuit.

Sliding the chicane at Lake Placid. Photo: Nathan Crumpton

There were also 2 America’s Cup race at this time so I thought I would have a crack at them. Well I won. It is the first America’s Cup race that I have won and to do it twice was a good feeling. I thought that I had the ability to win but so far this season had not felt that I was sliding at my best, I knew it was going to be a tough race with some fast Canadians making the trip out East to take part. I had the fastest pushes for 3 out of the 4 races and slid well enough to take the win. Ben Sandford also won the 2 races on the men’s side. Michael Coutts, with only 6 runs on ice this season managed 8th and 10th against some strong American’s on their home track. A good start to the season all round.

Visor taking a bit of a smashing on the way down.

As you can see from the state of my helmet it was not all plain sailing!! But luckily my face didn’t look like this after the run. Hope my brain’s alright, although some might say it wasn’t functioning properly even before this!

Having had a slight meltdown the day before racing wondering whether I was good enough to be here, due to such erratic sliding. I was pleased to see the result show ’1′ at the end of the 2nd run on the first race day, to let me know that on that day I had been the best. On reflection it was the turn around from thinking I was not good enough to then taking the win that perhaps showed me that I did deserve to be there, that the people who do the best do so even when things are not necessarily going their way. The win on the first day gave me some confidence for the 2nd race but I knew that I still had to focus and slide well.

Women's podium Race 1. Photo:Nathan Crumpton

Those Canadians were bitting at my toes. I had the fastest down time on the first run, this means that I go off last on the 2nd, I set off trying to push hard from the start and then trying to relax through the corners. It was a mess I was all over the place, it didn’t feel good but I tried to keep focused, I crossed the finish line and was up the outrun – I didn’t want to look at the times I really wasn’t sure that I had done it this time, I took a peek at the clock. A ’1′ popped up on the screen, I had held onto my lead. I had won again.

Some of the the athletes said they had not heard the New Zealand National Anthem before, well that day they got to hear it 4 times!!!

New Zealand flag flies during God defend New Zealand.