Igls World Cup - Back on ice 2011

After a great holiday break, we all met up in Munich, Germany on Saturday January 8th. We spent one night in Munich before driving down to Innsbruck, and went out to dinner. I wonder what team this is...


Welcome to Germany.


Mmmmm, tasty.


The next day we drove to Igls, and started training. Along with sliding, we also worked out of course. One day we went to a gym, but the bobsledders travel with weights so we also worked out in the parking garage.


We sprinted too. John got distracted by the awesome scenery and graffiti at the running track.




It IS really lovely here.


The weather was really warm too. Usually there is a lot of snow, but we were seeing grass thanks to the recent heavy rains.


It rained on us, in fact.


We almost had to swim up the outrun instead of slide.


They put a lot of snow in the outrun to help slow us down. More than a little ended up in our sleds. You can see it actually packed up inside here.


We have a maximum allowable sled weight, and you are disqualified if you go over. Since snow (then water) is heavy, I took my sled apart to let it dry.


And found more snow, that came up where the runners attach.


Getting to the track is both beautiful, and an adventure.






Riding up to the top of the track, and then down afterward, is done in these trucks.




This is the road to the top, and those walls you see are actually from the old early 1930s skeleton track!


The Igls track is pretty mellow - even when you make a mistake there are no painful consequences. The most dangerous part of the track is the outrun! You come flying up through this section with a small kink in it (usually banging into the wall a few times) and then crash onto a pile of foam:


The last day of training was the warmest all week. Due to the heat, and melting ice, our session was delayed 2 hours. So we sat around.


Sliders started dropping like flies.


A bunch of us still slid though, and I had my best runs all week ironically.

RACE DAY...

We woke up quite early, and it was still dark when we got to the track. Annie on the ride to the start:


Me and my sled:


Our former coach, Martin, 2002 silver medalist and current coach of the Austrians.


The Austrians and USA were the first ones there, so we had time to kill.


I played a game, per usual.


We took advantage of the time and took pictures, which as you know I haven't been doing enough!




Taking a picture of Martin taking a picture of us.


Olga Potelitcina from Russia and I.


I got a little bored.


Then went and warmed up. It was a little muddy.


Finally, it was time for the race. My camera was in my backpack, so no race pictures!

First run, I pushed a Personal Best time for Igls of 5.60, woot! My run, however, left a little (lot) to be desired. I finally nailed the line out of curve 3 - only to mess up curve 5 for the first time all week!

A bad 5 = a bad 6, a bad 6 = a horrible 7 (260 degree turn, aka Kreisel), and 7 impacts 8 & 9. 9 is my usual trouble curve, and I didn't fix it that run. 56.86 down time - in a 3-way tie for 16th. Yep, to the hundredth of a second! Amy Williams, 2010 Olympic gold medalist, was one of the three too since she had a bad start & run, oops, but I'll still take it!

Our coach Willi had some words of wisdom and told me to change a couple things on my run and sled, and after a bit of a wait it was time for my second run.

Money.

Willi even said "That was a dream run." Same push time and then nailed 3.

Nailed 5.

Nailed kreisel.

Nailed 9.

Cut almost 8 tenths off my first run time! 56.08, a personal best by a lot. I was practically walking on air!

End result? Still a 16th place thanks to the first run, but I am super happy. Happy!

Afterward, I saw Martin's parents, and was able to have a (simple) conversation with them in German. They are the sweetest, but don't speak much English so are happy I've studied a little German.


The awards ceremony. Some day that will be me!




That's right, you heard it here first, some day that will be me. ;)