0:00:02 > 0:00:03This is Elise Christie.
0:00:03 > 0:00:07She's the best short track speed skater the UK has ever produced.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Open out a little bit.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12She's a world record holder, she's a triple world champion,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and she's Great Britain's best hope for a gold medal
0:00:15 > 0:00:17at the upcoming Winter Olympics.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Elise is a very special athlete,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24but four years ago, she nearly walked away
0:00:24 > 0:00:25from the sport she loves.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Oh, they've gone down! They've all come down, in fact!
0:00:28 > 0:00:32I went for the win, and that's just the way it went, unfortunately.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35One of the favourites for gold in Sochi,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39the Olympics she worked so hard for ended in disqualifications,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42disappointment and death threats.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44I've had quite a lot of abuse over the internet and stuff,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47that I've had to deal with. That's been tough, as well.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Yes, so, I'm finding it quite hard.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Hers is a remarkable story of courage, of not giving up
0:00:53 > 0:00:56in the most difficult circumstances,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and, of redemption.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12Seoul. South Korea's capital and home to almost 10 million people.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15It's a city that's always busy, always on the move
0:01:15 > 0:01:17and obsessed with speed.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And just 80 miles to the east lies the quiet ski resort of PyeongChang,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27the venue for the 23rd Winter Olympics.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29With the Games fast approaching, I travelled to Seoul
0:01:29 > 0:01:33with the British Short track team for an important training camp.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42So, the goal today on the ice is that, obviously,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45it's supposed to be a low-intensity session,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47it's the first session on the ice, obviously.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50So, our goal is just to focus on our basic game position,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52get ourselves into position,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55get comfortable, get our coordination back.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Why have you decided to come here? Why is it so important?
0:02:00 > 0:02:03We've come over here the exact amount of days before
0:02:03 > 0:02:05that we're going to come out for the Games.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08We're practising our exact run-up to the games
0:02:08 > 0:02:10so, training on the rink that we're going to train at,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12staying at the hotel we're going to stay at,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and almost just going through every single process
0:02:15 > 0:02:17that we are going to put in place for the Games,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19just to iron out any bugs, really.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21I suppose, for athletes, as well,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23you want them to be used to things, as well,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25because they're finely tuned machines, aren't they?
0:02:25 > 0:02:28- They're creatures of habit. - Yes, absolutely.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30And our guys aren't great at change either.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33If you think about it, we're going to come out at the end of January
0:02:33 > 0:02:35for the whole month of February,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and do high-rise living in hotel blocks.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40So, it's really important for us
0:02:40 > 0:02:43to be able to identify those places outside
0:02:43 > 0:02:45that we can just go and relax,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and just escape the bubble.
0:02:48 > 0:02:49SHE STRAINS
0:02:50 > 0:02:52SHE GROANS
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- 39.- Oh, Stewart, you win.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59We're monitoring jet lag with it.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Just checking strength each day
0:03:02 > 0:03:04to see if your jet lag's improving or not.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I just went up by ten,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08so in ten minutes...
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So, in ten minutes, my jet lag has stormed out of the building.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- That's how it works. - THEY LAUGH
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Well, Elise, we're here in Korea. What's it like to be here?,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21It's good. It's exciting.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Obviously, it's a bit warmer than it is at home which we all quite like.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29But, yeah, it's good to get out and try
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and practise getting adjusted to the time zone for the Games.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35And we really like the rink we're training at
0:03:35 > 0:03:37and the fact that it's really cold.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39So, everything is really good out here.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And this was all about preparation, isn't it, for PyeongChang?
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Yeah, so, we're like practising the strategy we would use for the Games,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49coming out a bit earlier,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52you know, getting on the same rink we would hopefully be training on
0:03:52 > 0:03:55for the Games and we are just getting
0:03:55 > 0:03:57as much into a routine as we can.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04South Korea has won more Olympic short track medals
0:04:04 > 0:04:05than any other country.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07So, it's an ideal destination.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10And not just for the training.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12A little bit of kimchi.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14And that's it.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Korean tortilla! - SHE LAUGHS
0:04:20 > 0:04:23It's a country, though, that you've spent a lot of time in, isn't it?
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Tell us about your relationship with the country, I suppose?
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I've been here, like, quite a lot.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33I know a lot of the culture and, I can't speak much,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35but I can understand a bit of Korean and stuff like that.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39So, it's definitely one of my favourite cities in the world,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41so there's so much to do, it's so lively.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44It's so different to Britain
0:04:44 > 0:04:47and sometimes it's nice to have a contrast like that.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50But I don't know if I could live here all the time,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53just because, they are so busy all the time,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and I just feel like Britain's got that nice laid-backness about it.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58We can go to sleep at night,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and there's not everyone buzzing still outside.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04But it's nice to come on a trip here and see it all
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and be a part of the action for a bit.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Do you get people recognising you in the street ever,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11because you're the World Champion?
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Yeah, it's happened a couple of times since I've been here already.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18But I think it's easy here, because, you know,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21I'm blonde and it's not normal thing to see in Korea.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25It's quite nice, people are always really sweet and friendly,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29and I always like to say hello to everyone who wants to say hello.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31So, it is weird.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34It's not something I ever expected, but it is nice at the same time.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37You've not always been a famous speed skater.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39No.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Just tell us how it all began for you.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44So, I started as a figure skater
0:05:44 > 0:05:46when I was really young, like seven.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50And then, I transferred over, because I kind of...
0:05:50 > 0:05:53We did a race the week after I started and, obviously,
0:05:53 > 0:05:54it was just a fun race,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58so I won a Selection Box of chocolate for winning that race,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02so, after that, your heart's kind of set on short track.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So, yeah, I switched over to short track
0:06:05 > 0:06:09and did it full-time from 15 or 16.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12So, basically, it was a love of chocolate that got you into it?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Yeah, definitely, once they've given out Selection Boxes,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18that's your heart set on it, isn't it? From that point.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20She was one of those kids,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23you could show her something and she picked up immediately.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25She just seemed to have the natural ability,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28probably from her figure-skating background,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30she knew how to control her blades.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31After a few weeks,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35one of the coaches from the running club asked if she'd like to join,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38because they saw a lot of potential as a runner there, as well.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41But her heart was in speed skating.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43The choice between the two, I think,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46came because she had become British Champion,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48for sure, and got offered a place,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and her dream was to go to the Olympic Games.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54So, because she was offered a funded place, she took it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57I think it gives her the thrills that she wants,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59the competitiveness,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02the close racing with other girls.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04In fact, with guys, as well!
0:07:04 > 0:07:06She's pretty competitive.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13But to go further in the sport, Elise had to leave home
0:07:13 > 0:07:16in Livingston to train with the Great Britain squad.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19For the last 12 years, she's lived in Nottingham.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Would you describe yourself as a morning person?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27No, I'm definitely an evening person. I hate the morning.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Get off!
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Stop it!
0:07:30 > 0:07:32When she moved away from home at 15, it was really difficult.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34I'm not going to lie. As a parent,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36it's very difficult to let your child go at that age.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Especially, possibly, a girl, if I'm being honest.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43There's days when I have regretted it, because I miss her,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46and, obviously, she's always a long distance away,
0:07:46 > 0:07:51but the fact that she's very good at keeping in contact has helped.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54A lot of drinking to do when you're an athlete. Not the good kind.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56SHE LAUGHS
0:07:58 > 0:08:00All right.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Made it out for the day on time.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05That's unusual.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Becoming a world-leading athlete takes dedication and commitment.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12The training is long and hard, particularly in Olympic year.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19So, today, we're going into the ice centre. What's happening today?
0:08:19 > 0:08:22We've got the brief for the ice,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25so they tell us what we're going to do, then, yeah, we'll go on the ice,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and I think it's about an hour and 45 minutes, two hours on the ice?
0:08:31 > 0:08:32Oh, I'm going to yawn now.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38When did you realise that actually you're pretty good at it?
0:08:38 > 0:08:40- That it could be your future?- Um...
0:08:40 > 0:08:43I think that was after Vancouver.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47It was when I came back from there, I kind of was like,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52I either stop now and go back to school and go be with my family,
0:08:52 > 0:08:59or I can, like, switch my mind-set a bit and make a lot of changes,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and then make myself the person to beat.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I think the biggest thing that really changed was just the belief.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09BEEPING
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Thank God for parking sensors.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15All right!
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- You get a special... Boop! - LOCK BEEPS
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Elise's coach is Nick Gooch
0:09:23 > 0:09:28who won a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics in 1994.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31He's been there and done it at the very highest level.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Now, he's helping Elise realise her true potential.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I feel like I'm skating better than I was yesterday.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Yeah, I think you're going good today.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42What's your relationship like? How would you describe yourselves?
0:09:42 > 0:09:43She's challenging.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46She likes to be competitive, so she's always, like,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50so if I got to the gym and I train with her, she's always, like,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52trying to compete with you.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54The key is the mental toughness.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57You know, how hard she's prepared to push herself,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and she's emotional invested on a daily basis,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02which is why she gets so much out of the training.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07However, investing that emotion on a daily basis also has a cost.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08When you want to turn,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10and you're using your hip to turn,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13bring the left leg through, don't just keep the left leg static.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Do you understand what mean?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Yeah? OK. First group, let's go.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20It's been an interesting ten years,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22seeing the relationship develop gradually.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27It started... We actually didn't get along at all to start with.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28I was coached by someone else,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and then we got forced to work together
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and that's when it really started to develop.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- I don't know, I'm really unfit just now, like when I'm skating.- Yeah.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Take it one at a time.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42I think I know better than him all the time,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and he just finds that hilarious, you know?
0:10:45 > 0:10:49So, yeah, it's been a funny relationship, but it's definitely...
0:10:49 > 0:10:53You know, he's put just as much into this as I have, and I know that.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Use the lean! Keep the lean! Keep it!
0:10:56 > 0:10:59But it's not been an easy few months,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Elise has been struggling with a thigh injury,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04limiting the amount of training she's been able to do.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07And she's had to miss some big races.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09So, today was an increase in what we've done over the last two days,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11and she was starting to feel it,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14so progress in terms of the volume that we've completed,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17she had a tough session in the gym yesterday,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20so, again, it's just making sure we don't push too hard too early,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and that we build the training up
0:11:22 > 0:11:24and she gets back to where she needs to.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Thankfully, plenty of time to recover before the Olympics.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36And less training at the rink means more free time.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Bella! Bella!
0:11:38 > 0:11:41We're leaving you!
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- And you've got two dogs, now? - Yeah, two Chihuahuas.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47So the second one, I know, was a gift, wasn't it?
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Yes, that was a gift from Shaolin, my boyfriend, for my birthday.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53I don't get to go out much,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56so, me and Jack walk the dogs together sometimes
0:11:56 > 0:11:57and it gives you something to do.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01You've got something else to distract you from skating, I guess?
0:12:01 > 0:12:03They're a lot of fun.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06And it's nice to have some company at home
0:12:06 > 0:12:08when you're living on your own.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11- Of course, your boyfriend does live in Hungary, right?- Yeah, he does.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13So, it's not...
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Obviously, we've got FaceTime,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18but there's no-one there a lot of the time.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20I mean, my neighbour comes round a lot,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23so, I do have a lot of company, and my family try to get down,
0:12:23 > 0:12:29but, yeah, with him living away, it's nice to have some dogs around.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Elise's boyfriend, Shaolin, is also a short track world champion.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Representing Hungary, he's based in Budapest,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39meaning time together is rare.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I calculated we spent like two days
0:12:42 > 0:12:45outside of skating together this year.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46So, this year has been difficult,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49whereas, last year, I was flying over for the weekends there
0:12:49 > 0:12:52like, just to get a break and stuff like that.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Whereas we've only really trained together this year.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58So, it's been a lot tougher, we felt like we've not really had any time.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00It's like that one's... This one's now Santa.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- Everything has turned into Santa Claus.- Yeah!- Amazing!
0:13:04 > 0:13:08She's trying to build this relationship as strong as she can,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12even if we cannot be together. Sometimes it's hard, you know,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14I'm living in Budapest and she's living in Nottingham.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18So, I would say, I can't come any more to England,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22and I think she would take that choice
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and she would move to Hungary for me.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27So, I think that's pretty good.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31He's amazing for her, to be honest. He is really level-headed.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33He's really laid-back and chilled.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37I think, he's her opposite, and she just needs that balance,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39so she doesn't go too far with things.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41I think they're really good for each other.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Oh, that is cool.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44That's you.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47That's not a bad thing to be compared to.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Even if something bad happened to her,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53I'm always try to let her see the good side,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and the other side of things, and...
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Yeah, I'm trying to be...
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Maybe that's part of my job,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I will always just be there for her,
0:14:02 > 0:14:0524/7, and just be always positive.
0:14:09 > 0:14:122014, in the Russian resort of Sochi.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Elise's second Winter Olympics
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and a medal was a very real possibility.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23With Sochi, I knew I was capable of medalling,
0:14:23 > 0:14:24but I know I was very inexperienced
0:14:24 > 0:14:27compared to a lot of the people I would've been racing.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29I know I could be up there, and, actually,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32by the time I got to Sochi that year,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35I was skating the best I have ever skated.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36Racing in three events,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39she found herself with a chance at an unfamiliar distance.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42And all of a sudden, I was in this 500 final,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46and I hadn't been in the European Championship 500 final,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48I hadn't been in a World Championship one,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50I'd hadn't been in a World Cup one.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54So, yeah, all of a sudden, I found myself in the 500 Olympic final,
0:14:54 > 0:14:55which I found really cool,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58because the 500 was always the most exciting one to me.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- COMMENTATOR:- The Ladies' 500 metres is about to get under way.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Away cleanly this time.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10And Park Seung-hi of Korea gets a front position.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Fontana is being overhauled by Christie.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Oh, they've gone down, they've all gone down, in fact.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22And there is only one skater left standing. Li Jianrou of China.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25We can see the game here. The start was clean.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Coming out of that first bend, Christie charges down the inside.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32There really wasn't an awful lot of room.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Crashes straight into Fontana.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40And that collision has been assessed and looked at,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and the upshot of it is, Christie has been penalised, and, sadly,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46after finishing second, she has now had to settle for fourth.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- EMOTIONALLY:- I had the speed so I moved up. And...
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Unfortunately, the girl hit me off my feet,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and that meant I then hit everyone else as I went down.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58You've got the 1,000 and the 1,500 metres to go.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Yeah, obviously, I'm going to use the next day
0:16:01 > 0:16:03to get my head back together. And then go for it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05The whole of the country is behind you,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and I'm sure you have every sympathy. Hard lines, today, Elise.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11- Thank you.- You've made us very proud. Well done.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Two days later, Elise was back on the ice,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18this time, trying to reach the final of the 1,500 metres.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21But once again, luck wasn't on her side.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- COMMENTATOR:- Into the back straight.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26They are all struggling behind the two at the front.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Who will go through by right? Here comes Fontana.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Oh, Christie takes it from Fontana,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and the Russian, Belyakova.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39That is a great, great confidence booster, then, for Christie.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Oh, I can't believe it! Christie has been penalised again.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46What on earth went on there? I couldn't see anything.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48This is amazing, I can't believe this has happened.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I don't have a clue what's happened. I'm, like, gobsmacked, like...
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I mean, I respected his decision the other day, but today,
0:16:56 > 0:16:57I have no idea what's going on.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59What is your reaction, Wilf?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Well, I have been in the sport for over 30 years and this,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I've never, ever seen anything like this
0:17:05 > 0:17:07that has ever happened.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Straying barely a centimetre off the track
0:17:09 > 0:17:12led to her second disqualification of the Games.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15And as well as all the drama ON the ice,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19she was dealing with something quite sinister off it.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21I had quite a lot of abuse over the internet
0:17:21 > 0:17:22and stuff that I've had to deal with.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24It's been tough as well.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Um, yes, I'm finding it quite hard. I'm just...
0:17:26 > 0:17:27What do you mean,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29you've had stuff on the internet? What do you mean?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32I've now just had, I've had, you know,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34a few people just threatening me and stuff like that.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Just silly cyber bullying basically, but...
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Yes, it's been a tough few days anyway.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44What is that like to get a death threat?
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Because I don't think most of us, thankfully,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48will ever experience that.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50When I'd heard of other people getting death threats before,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I had thought, "It's just an online message
0:17:54 > 0:17:59"so surely you don't think, like, that's going to actually happen."
0:17:59 > 0:18:03But you do when it happens to you, you do believe that that person
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and those people are genuinely threatening your life
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and your family's life.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So it becomes very scary
0:18:11 > 0:18:13and I think, you know, I spent about six months after
0:18:13 > 0:18:16feeling scared of, like, being in my house on my own
0:18:16 > 0:18:18or going out on my own.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23Just because so many at once just made it feel so real. Even though...
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Realistically, it was coming from mostly the Koreans,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31so they weren't going to be in England, but...
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Yeah, it was a very difficult time.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Since I've gone to competitions,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38since, everyone has been like super fans and really nice.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40So it's been a nice turnaround,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42and there is definitely no fear now of, like,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45you know, getting anything happening.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48And anyone that does say anything, I can now see that it's just...
0:18:48 > 0:18:51They are just sitting behind the computer, you know,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54thinking it's funny or feeling they're powerful.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56When they're actually not.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59But, yeah, it's very difficult at the time, I think,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01for anyone to experience this.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03It's life-changing.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05With death threats preying on Elisa's mind,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08there was one last chance for Olympic redemption
0:19:08 > 0:19:11in her favourite event, the 1,000 metres.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Flying through the heats, she easily made the semifinal.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18The 1,000, which was the last one, was actually, I think,
0:19:18 > 0:19:19the most frustrating one
0:19:19 > 0:19:24because that's the one where I would say I didn't do anything wrong.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- COMMENTATOR:- Here comes Christie. With the long run down the outside.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31She has ignited the burners. She's up to third.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Oh! She's found a fantastic line down the inside.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Brilliant piece of skating.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39But the Chinese skater has challenged her again on the inside.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42And she falls, and takes Christie out as well.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45And again, turmoil for Christie.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Oh, no! I cannot believe it!
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Li Jianrou has been penalised and so has Elise Christie.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57And she's not going to advance.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I just can't believe it's happened again,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04like, it's the last thing I expected to happen today.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05I was trying to skate so cleanly.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10That night, after that third race, and you're back in your room
0:20:10 > 0:20:13with Charlotte, your roommate, what was it like?
0:20:13 > 0:20:14How were you?
0:20:14 > 0:20:15Um...
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I was probably better than I was a few months later.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Um, but, obviously, no, I wasn't great.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26I didn't really know what to do, what to think about,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30and how to, how can you cope with, like,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32for me at the time, it was such a big loss, you know?
0:20:32 > 0:20:34It was...
0:20:34 > 0:20:36the thing that I'd dedicated everything to.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I'd worked ridiculously hard for,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and then I also knew
0:20:41 > 0:20:44what everyone else had been saying on social media.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47And hadn't seen the turn around of that,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49because I'd turned my social media off.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51So I was still under the impression
0:20:51 > 0:20:54that everyone was just abusing me online.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56And I just felt there was nothing anyone could do.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00I was just so scared and alone.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02It's really hard to watch anybody go through that, um,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04especially when you are so close.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06And I'm there, we were sharing rooms together.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Um, so each night, you know, you are trying to talk it through,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11but there's not much you can say to someone when, you know,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13she's got the disqualification, the falls,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16and it just, it didn't go to plan.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18She went into that Olympic Games,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20she could have come away with three gold medals.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24She was that good at that point, which made it even more devastating.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27As parents, we found that really difficult to deal with.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29And especially when, as you'll probably be aware,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31they call it "the bubble" round the team.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34And the bubble round the child, the athlete.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36So it's really difficult for a parent
0:21:36 > 0:21:39because you actually don't have very much access to your child at all.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42And then you were getting all the media that was, like,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45then getting reported on Facebook and the papers.
0:21:45 > 0:21:46It was very difficult, actually.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50The way Elise dealt with the disappointment
0:21:50 > 0:21:53was by getting straight back to competition.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57But those distractions only really proved to be a short-term fix.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I went off on my off-season,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and that was when I thought,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06"No, I'm not going back because I can't deal with that,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10"like, there's no way I could go through that ever again in my life."
0:22:10 > 0:22:13And I was fine when I skated, but in my outside life,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I just became totally useless.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I was determined that I didn't need to talk to anyone,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and that I would get through it on my own
0:22:21 > 0:22:23because that's how I always worked.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24And I think, because,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28at the time, there was no impact on my performance at the Games
0:22:28 > 0:22:31from it, I thought, "Well, I'm strong enough to deal with this."
0:22:31 > 0:22:33But, you know, I really wasn't.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Close to walking away from speed skating,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41she considered a switch to track cycling.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42But a sense of loyalty to the team,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46who had stuck by her through the tough times, brought her back.
0:22:46 > 0:22:52European titles followed, before, in 2017, she conquered the world.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53From a point where you are thinking,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56"I don't really know if I want to do this sport any more,"
0:22:56 > 0:23:00to becoming the world champion, that is some turnaround, isn't it?
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Obviously, it's my dream to be a world champion for a while,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05but I wasn't actually aiming for the overall title yet,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09that was on a different year on the trajectory.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Um, so I think, yeah, it just...
0:23:12 > 0:23:15The first one, I think, you know, was the biggest deal.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21- COMMENTATOR:- Christie leading the charge. It's going to be tight.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23She's done it! She is the world champion.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Elise Christie!
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I just remember screaming.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Like, and I never act like that.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31SHE SQUEALS
0:23:35 > 0:23:38My emotions tend to stay in the box in public, so...
0:23:38 > 0:23:41For me to just scream like that, it was just incredible.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I think, when I got crowned overall world champion,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47that was really when I couldn't take it in any more.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51You know, it was just like, "I can't believe this."
0:23:51 > 0:23:54And it didn't sink in for a very long time after that.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55Probably hasn't fully sunk in now
0:23:55 > 0:23:58because I'm so busy preparing for the next thing.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00It is the biggest achievement in Short Track
0:24:00 > 0:24:02to be crowned overall world champion.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Bigger than an Olympic gold medallist. You know?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06It's just the biggest thing you could do.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10So, yes, it was an incredible season.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Yeah, I think...
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- EMOTIONALLY:- Yeah, it was a great time, you know?
0:24:16 > 0:24:18It's obviously very emotional thinking about it.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21Yeah, I think...
0:24:23 > 0:24:25You're on the journey with them.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28On a daily basis, you are investing that emotion as well.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33So I think when she achieves, then that means a lot to me as well.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50In Seoul, there is a break in the training schedule,
0:24:50 > 0:24:54and a trip to remind the team why they're putting in the hard graft.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58What are you thinking when you see that?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Well, it still seems like a long time.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05100 days is still, you know, almost a third of a year. So...
0:25:05 > 0:25:06I thought it was actually a lot closer.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09But it's quite nice to be in Korea, obviously,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12when it is 100 days to go, because it's quite cool.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15I didn't actually know until recently that we were going to be.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17So, yes, it's nice to be around everyone
0:25:17 > 0:25:20and be here where it's all being...
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Where the clock is, you know?
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Just describe what PyeonChang, these Winter Olympics,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29what do they signify for you?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32To everyone exterior, they want to see the redemption.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I already personally feel like I've made redemption,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38so for me, it isn't about redemption.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42For me, it is just about changing the way people view me,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46but also, you know, it's a dream.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Every athlete dreams of being an Olympic medallist.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- Show us the medals, then, is this where you keep them?- Yeah.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Not on display.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54No, they're going to get put on display,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I just haven't figured out which way I want to do it yet.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00But, yes, boxed ones are all, like, championship.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05What would you be like, Nick, if she won an Olympic gold?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09- EMOTIONALLY:- Yeah, I think, um...
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Yeah, I don't know.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18I would have said in Sochi
0:26:18 > 0:26:20that she would have come away with three gold medals.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23And I would put my money on it now.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26To see it unfold how it did was heartbreaking.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29And at that point, I was thinking she was one of the fastest
0:26:29 > 0:26:31and definitely the strongest going into that Games.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34And I was like, "Will she ever be that far ahead of the field?"
0:26:34 > 0:26:36But actually, I feel like she's even stronger
0:26:36 > 0:26:38and even faster than everybody,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and that was what her last season has just shown.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41It wouldn't faze me.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43If I was allowed to bet on it, I definitely would.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44I would put it on her.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Seeing her as this small,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53insecure girl who didn't really have a great deal of self-belief.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Now she went full circle to be in, you know, "I'm the best."
0:26:57 > 0:27:00CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:27:00 > 0:27:02When she was a little girl, she would come in,
0:27:02 > 0:27:03if something hadn't gone her way,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05and throw her skates into the cupboard
0:27:05 > 0:27:07and she's never going to do it again.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Now, we know how much it means to her
0:27:09 > 0:27:11and how much it means to the team,
0:27:11 > 0:27:15and we're excited and hoping that she will achieve her dream.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19- Is there room there for an Olympic one?- Three big smackers here.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Since the Olympics, I've always believed that, even if
0:27:22 > 0:27:25there's something that is really getting to me mentally,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I'll be able to go out and perform. I'm not worried about that.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Which is why, I guess,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I feel like I'm robust enough for this Games coming up,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35because it doesn't matter what goes on,
0:27:35 > 0:27:36I think the performance will be fine.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38But the point is,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41why have I trained that hard to then settle for second place?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Like, that's almost not fair on myself.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48The dream isn't to go out and, you know, sit in second place
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and pick up a medal.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53The dream is to go out and try and win the gold.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55And you know what? That might mean we replicate Sochi.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57But I'm not scared.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I'm not scared of doing that in terms of, like,
0:28:00 > 0:28:01how hard I've worked.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I feel like I deserve to go out and try to win,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07irrelevant to what anyone else is going to say about it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13I'm getting the impression
0:28:13 > 0:28:17that it's more than just a nice piece of metal to you.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Yeah, definitely, like, you know what they say?
0:28:19 > 0:28:22The medal will probably end up in a cabinet somewhere.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25If I won one, like my world medals.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29But it's not about, yeah, the piece of metal, it's about what it means.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33It would be disappointing to stick by it for these four years
0:28:33 > 0:28:34and that not to happen.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Obviously, that would be really tough.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41But there is four more years after.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42SHE LAUGHS
0:28:42 > 0:28:44If needs be.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46So it's OK.