:01:04. > :01:12.A city striving to mask a dark past, centuries of struggle put behind us.
:01:12. > :01:18.The Winter Olympic Games... In 2014, the eyes of the world will again be
:01:18. > :01:28.upon us and conflict will return once more to this great land. But
:01:28. > :01:35.
:01:35. > :01:44.these are our battles we will encourage. First, in the shadows of
:01:44. > :01:54.the mountains, the masters of speed are set to do battle. Klaus
:01:54. > :01:55.
:01:55. > :02:00.Kroell... Bode Miller... And Didier Cuche... Racing to the final
:02:01. > :02:04.frontier. Hello and welcome to the first ever Ski Sunday from Russia.
:02:04. > :02:10.We are here behind the Ice Curtain to unveil the men's Olympic
:02:10. > :02:15.downhill course. In just two years, this city will host the Winter
:02:15. > :02:22.Olympics, and today we are at in this resort that will host the
:02:22. > :02:31.Games. This mountain will be tested for the first time. Russians have
:02:31. > :02:36.never held a world downhill event, and you can expect some different
:02:36. > :02:46.terrain and conditions. Expect some icy encounter as between the
:02:46. > :02:51.
:02:51. > :02:55.world's skiing powers. First time on Russian snow for a World Cup
:02:55. > :03:01.downhill, that course looks beautiful. The it is very technical,
:03:01. > :03:09.big sweeping turns with a lot of changes of terrain, some big jumps
:03:09. > :03:19.as well. Who do you think it will suit? If I was going to compare any
:03:19. > :03:21.
:03:21. > :03:29.course so far, I would say birds of prey, which Bode Miller won. He
:03:29. > :03:39.will like this course. A let's talk about the man who did win in
:03:39. > :03:41.
:03:41. > :03:46.Chamonix, Jan Hudec. He has had so many ups and downs, taking every
:03:46. > :03:51.day as it comes, but I don't think he has the power and the drive on
:03:51. > :04:01.this course to win. I will admit I was wrong on that one, but to do
:04:01. > :04:01.
:04:01. > :04:06.you think this will suit? Austrians. Someone like Hannes Reichelt or
:04:06. > :04:13.Romed Baumann. They are good technical skiers, and they can
:04:13. > :04:19.drive through the turns. Exactly. There is one name we haven't
:04:19. > :04:23.mentioned, Dider Cuche. He will be fired up. He was really upset with
:04:23. > :04:27.Chamonix because he could not perform to the top of his ability,
:04:27. > :04:32.whereas here he can so he will be driving for it. He doesn't care
:04:32. > :04:37.about the Olympics, he is out of here. He wants to win the World Cup
:04:37. > :04:44.downhill title right now. Graham thinks it is about the Swiss
:04:44. > :04:54.cannonball - this is what the racers think. The course at the
:04:54. > :04:54.
:04:54. > :05:02.moment doesn't make a nice downhill I think. It is good, we are here to
:05:02. > :05:12.try and I think for the Olympics it will be nice. It is tough, very icy.
:05:12. > :05:12.
:05:12. > :05:19.Would it suit you? Yes, the last two trainings were good for me. I
:05:19. > :05:26.think I am set up for the icy slope. To stay on the line, that will be
:05:26. > :05:31.the key for the first 45 seconds or the first minute. If so, you can
:05:32. > :05:39.win, otherwise you have to fight. Do you think it has too many turns?
:05:39. > :05:44.Probably, right now. This is the first time anyone has ever raced on
:05:44. > :05:48.it, so they decided to build some big jumps and they have to do that
:05:48. > :05:52.keep the speed down at the beginning. But it probably has too
:05:52. > :05:57.many turns so it will be a little different probably for the Olympics.
:05:57. > :06:03.They made it very icy, I am not sure if that was intentional.
:06:03. > :06:06.don't think so. If it was, I think that person will be fired from his
:06:07. > :06:12.job and they will have a different person for the Olympics because
:06:12. > :06:17.nobody wants it like this. And know what the skiers think of this
:06:17. > :06:27.course, now let's find out what our five time Olympian makes of it.
:06:27. > :06:32.
:06:32. > :06:42.Take it away, Graham. It is very Immediately straight into what they
:06:42. > :06:43.
:06:43. > :06:53.call the toboggan. Very, very icy. You have got to fight to stay on
:06:53. > :07:09.
:07:09. > :07:19.the line. It is fast and bumpy down It is just like a vertical skating
:07:19. > :07:29.
:07:29. > :07:39.rink. This corner gives you a slight chance to breathe. They call
:07:39. > :07:46.
:07:47. > :07:56.this the Russian from bullying. -- trample -- trampoline. There are
:07:57. > :08:07.
:08:07. > :08:16.some very tight turns as we are approaching the first brow. This is
:08:16. > :08:26.the first one, called the lake jump. My legs are really starting to hurt.
:08:26. > :08:35.
:08:35. > :08:41.One more jump to go. Over the last jump... Well, they have made that
:08:41. > :08:51.absolutely brutally icy. There is not a section on the course where
:08:51. > :08:51.
:08:51. > :09:01.it is soft at all. It is just very icy, and there are a lot of turns
:09:01. > :09:06.at the top. Impressive stuff. Now it is time for the first ever
:09:06. > :09:09.Russian World Cup downhill. Guiding us through the action, our
:09:09. > :09:12.commentator Matt Chilton. The commentator Matt Chilton. The
:09:12. > :09:18.Olympic course here has received mixed reviews from the racers, as
:09:18. > :09:23.we have just seen the 3.5 kilometre course is very icy, set with some
:09:23. > :09:33.tantalising twists and turns along the way. Time to find out who will
:09:33. > :09:49.
:09:49. > :09:54.He is in trouble now, heading for the netting. Fisher gets tangled up,
:09:54. > :09:59.he will be black and blue tomorrow. He had a problem coming through the
:09:59. > :10:08.left-hander, but got it back, started the right hander, but it
:10:08. > :10:16.was so bumpy his ski came off. It just goes to show how bumpy this
:10:16. > :10:21.course is. Carlo Janka, the Olympic champion
:10:21. > :10:27.from 2010 has all sorts of health and injury problems since then,
:10:27. > :10:37.doesn't look comfortable here. He has a green light over the current
:10:37. > :10:43.
:10:43. > :10:51.leader, and has an advantage of three-tenths of a second. Goes
:10:52. > :11:01.uphill for a moment. A good speed. Travelling nicely. He'd just had
:11:02. > :11:11.
:11:11. > :11:21.two training runs to get used to the track, it is new to everybody.
:11:21. > :11:24.
:11:24. > :11:34.A sign of a return to downhill form. The man known as the Ice man. It is
:11:34. > :11:36.
:11:36. > :11:42.a long one. It pops him high, lands solidly. Still in front, only just.
:11:42. > :11:50.Most of the hard work is now done. The final jump has been built up
:11:50. > :11:54.artificially. Carlo Janka at his home and dry, first for the moment.
:11:54. > :11:59.Carlo Janka has had some problems with his back all season, not
:11:59. > :12:05.really been on top form, but he really does like a hard icy
:12:05. > :12:14.conditions and he looked like he was being very well down there.
:12:14. > :12:24.the start for France, Adrien Theaux. He has had a couple of near misses
:12:24. > :12:29.
:12:29. > :12:38.this season. A good top section for him. He comes from a high in the
:12:38. > :12:43.French Alps, a winter wasteland or pin that part of the world. 119.5
:12:43. > :12:51.kilometres per hour through the speed gun. He likes this course,
:12:51. > :13:00.driving in these eastern European mountains. A lot of jumps, a lot of
:13:00. > :13:10.hazards to deal with. The course is full of elements to test the races
:13:10. > :13:26.
:13:26. > :13:31.downhill that they will race this season. Look at the speed now -
:13:31. > :13:38.133.5 kilometres per hour through the gun, faster than Carlo Janka or
:13:38. > :13:44.off the final jump. Adrien Theaux for France skis into first position.
:13:44. > :13:49.A good run from him. Matching Carlo Janka all the way down the course.
:13:49. > :13:59.He had a few little slips but a very good run, and just takes the
:13:59. > :14:06.
:14:06. > :14:11.skiing is next up. He had four podium finishes since
:14:11. > :14:16.before Christmas but he's since gone off the bile. He celebrated
:14:16. > :14:26.his 24th birthday last week. Could his youthful enthusiasm help him on
:14:26. > :14:36.
:14:36. > :14:42.yonder. We pick him up from the helicopter
:14:42. > :14:52.further down the course. He won't mind the length of this
:14:52. > :14:56.
:14:56. > :15:02.course. The new superstar of Swiss skiing. He has work to do here. Not
:15:02. > :15:07.so clever so far. Half a second off the pace.
:15:07. > :15:12.Looked good in the second training run held on Friday. He was second
:15:12. > :15:16.quickest there. Getting bounced around. Had to try and thrust his
:15:16. > :15:22.weight forward. That was a better line.
:15:22. > :15:29.Early into the tuck. Let's compare Theaux who leads and
:15:29. > :15:35.Beat Feuz who is on course. A massive jump there. He clipped the
:15:35. > :15:45.control gate. Took a courageous line into that jump, as tight has
:15:45. > :15:47.
:15:47. > :15:51.he dare. 1.20.8 through that speed gun. Will we speed an improvement?
:15:51. > :16:01.He's pretty relaxed in the lower body. Absorbing everything that
:16:01. > :16:03.
:16:03. > :16:09.comes his way. 1.36.93 the next split forte at a. A miraculous
:16:10. > :16:17.middle section from the Swiss racer. He's turned ready red into green.
:16:17. > :16:22.400ths of a second up now. Tucking at every available opportunity.
:16:22. > :16:26.Winding down the windows there. He flew for miles! Further than
:16:26. > :16:33.anybody. It's working for him. A long flight and he gives himself an
:16:33. > :16:42.advantage of nearly half a second over Adrien Theaux. Beat Feuz's
:16:42. > :16:46.brilliant season continues in Sochi. He leads the way. Six 10ths quicker
:16:46. > :16:50.than Theaux. He really did not look like he was enjoying himself on the
:16:50. > :16:56.top of the course. His outside ski was bouncing around. He wasn't able
:16:56. > :16:59.to carve on that icy section. But on the big sweeping turns after the
:16:59. > :17:05.Russian Trampoline he was able to let the skis run. Particularly over
:17:05. > :17:09.the last section of the course, the two big jumps, he takes the lead,
:17:09. > :17:16.Beat Feuz. Great on the lower part of the yours. I reckon he could
:17:16. > :17:21.still go faster. Next to go is Hannes Reichelt from Austria. He
:17:21. > :17:25.won the World Cup title back in 2008. He's never won a downhill
:17:25. > :17:29.though he has come pretty close this season. He's got three podium
:17:29. > :17:34.finishs to his name, including second place. But the technical
:17:34. > :17:44.hours in Sochi will suit him. Step forward Hannes Reichelt for
:17:44. > :17:45.
:17:45. > :17:52.Australia ra. Into the steep. Solid, nicely
:17:53. > :18:02.underfoot there. Trying to main control over the bases and edges of
:18:03. > :18:19.
:18:19. > :18:23.third of a second quicker than our leader, Beat Feuz. Reichelt really
:18:23. > :18:29.looked the part in the first training run earlier in the week.
:18:29. > :18:35.He was quickest of them all, ahead of Didier Cuche, with Ben Thompson,
:18:35. > :18:40.the young Canadian, third fast nest the practise run.
:18:40. > :18:48.Reichelt is ahead by miles! Three quarters of a second. A similar
:18:48. > :18:58.line off that jump to the one we saw from Beat Feuz. Reichelt is in
:18:58. > :18:59.
:18:59. > :19:09.trouble there but a good recovery. Incredible thigh strength. A couple
:19:09. > :19:10.
:19:10. > :19:15.of free-style moves from Hannes Reichelt. Beat Feuz was
:19:15. > :19:20.particularly quick on this section of the course. Reichelt is
:19:20. > :19:25.struggling to match him. He is now a quarter of a second off the pace.
:19:25. > :19:29.There really is no let-up on this course. It's demanding from start
:19:29. > :19:36.to finish. Just a couple of three or four-second gaps where the
:19:36. > :19:40.racers can tuck and refuel and then they have to get airborne again.
:19:40. > :19:46.Way off that jump and Reichelt is now behind. He had an advantage of
:19:46. > :19:53.three quarters of a second but he trails now by 0.87. Kite still be
:19:53. > :19:57.good enough for a provisual podium place for Hannes Reichelt. He is
:19:57. > :20:02.skiing into sixth. Not quite. More than a second slower.
:20:02. > :20:08.What a massive disappointment for Hannes Reichelt. Really good on the
:20:08. > :20:12.top section. He had a massive lead over Beat Feuz. When he came into
:20:12. > :20:17.the Russian trampoline he had the sunshine as well, good light, but
:20:17. > :20:21.on the big five sweeping turns he lost his way and lost the power. He
:20:21. > :20:24.didn't carry the speed over Bear's Brow. He lost time from there all
:20:24. > :20:29.the way to the finish. A big disappointment.
:20:29. > :20:34.Next up can Didier Cuche, whose farewell tour continues in Russia.
:20:34. > :20:43.Since announcing this season would be his last the Swiss has dominated
:20:43. > :20:53.the men's downhill with another win in Kitzbuhel.
:20:53. > :21:05.
:21:05. > :21:11.Le will want the sign off his Didier Cuche is on his way. He is
:21:11. > :21:18.hoping to move further ahead of his rivals with a decent result here.
:21:18. > :21:24.Looked pretty soldier nid training. -- looked pretty solid in training.
:21:24. > :21:28.He was reputedly offered 1 million euros by his ski manufacturer to
:21:28. > :21:33.stay on and race another season. He rolled his eyes and said, "I'm sure
:21:33. > :21:36.they can find me another job which doesn't involve taking life-
:21:36. > :21:40.threatening risks on steep mountain sides around the world." I think he
:21:40. > :21:44.really has had enough. It is not so much the racing but the hours of
:21:44. > :21:54.preparation that have taken their toll on Cuche. Doesn't want to do
:21:54. > :22:02.
:22:02. > :22:12.jump! There is no-one better or more majestic in flight than Didier
:22:12. > :22:17.
:22:17. > :22:24.Cuche. 122.1 through the gun. He's the man
:22:24. > :22:31.to beat in the question for the season-long downhill World Cup
:22:31. > :22:38.title. Beat Feuz, the young Swiss, 136.89.
:22:38. > :22:47.Cuche, 37 years young, is 8 tenths of a second off the pace. That
:22:47. > :22:53.wasn't such a good jump. The winner for the fifth time
:22:53. > :23:03.earlier this season. Loves it step and fast. Enjoys the big rollers
:23:03. > :23:04.
:23:04. > :23:09.and the long flights. He's got good speed here. 134.4 for Didier Cuche.
:23:09. > :23:15.Flew 65-70 metres there. Cuche is nearly home. 8th position today for
:23:15. > :23:21.Didier Cuche. 1.3 slower than Feuz. A big disappointment for Didier
:23:21. > :23:27.Cuche. He doesn't have to worry about the course for the winter
:23:27. > :23:32.Olympics but he's lost a lot of ground to Beat Feuz. It looks like
:23:32. > :23:37.the strongest challenge will come from his own team-mate. Miller is
:23:37. > :23:41.next up, looking for a second downhill win of the season. He
:23:41. > :23:47.topped the podium in Beaver Creek before Christmas but has struggled
:23:47. > :23:57.since. The American though has nine World Cup wins to his name and can
:23:57. > :24:02.never be ruled out. Chuing gum, standing tall.
:24:02. > :24:08.-- chewing gum, standing tall. The look belies the determination
:24:08. > :24:13.which is pretty much unmatched. Miller is away, at full pelt at the
:24:13. > :24:18.top of the course. He was critical of the setting, in other words the
:24:18. > :24:24.position of the control gates. Said it was a bit tame. What happened to
:24:24. > :24:30.the down Hills of old where people used to crash. He questioned
:24:30. > :24:37.whether he would have the motivation to race here at the
:24:37. > :24:42.Olympics, but if he continues in this vein and wins in 2012 he might
:24:42. > :24:52.get some motivation to remain and go for the Olympic downhill gold
:24:52. > :25:04.
:25:04. > :25:14.shaves, including last weekend in Chamonix. Flapping like a bird as
:25:14. > :25:21.he flew there. Beat Feuz, 117 through that speed trap. Looking
:25:21. > :25:31.good for Bodie. Fourth quickest in one of the
:25:31. > :25:32.
:25:32. > :25:37.training runs earlier in the week. Is there enough strength and
:25:37. > :25:44.stamina in his 34-year-old legs to keep up this pace? He's starting to
:25:44. > :25:48.struggle. A slopping-looking jump from Miller. It's been green all
:25:48. > :25:57.the way. It might not be though as he comes through the last 25
:25:57. > :26:04.seconds of this downhill run. Miller drawing on all his reserves
:26:04. > :26:08.of strength to try and keep it up. 131.3 through the gun. A couple of
:26:09. > :26:12.kilometres per hour slower than Feuz. It's a tired-looking Miller
:26:12. > :26:18.who comes off the final jump and hits the finishing line in third
:26:19. > :26:23.position. He's right in there again. Bodey Miller, superb on the top of
:26:23. > :26:27.the course. He instead the training runs he didn't like it, that was
:26:27. > :26:31.too Turney, but he was good on that section. Ran out of speed a bit
:26:31. > :26:35.towards the finish. That's what made the difference. Took a massive
:26:35. > :26:42.flight off the late jump, perhaps a little too far, but just couldn't
:26:42. > :26:46.quite keep the speed going until the finish. Next to go is clause
:26:46. > :26:53.Kroell. He's the nearest challenger to Didier Cuche's lead at the top
:26:53. > :27:03.of the downhill rankings. Last week he won a requestioneded match. Can
:27:03. > :27:30.
:27:30. > :27:38.he continue the form on to this new report. 50 kilometres inland from
:27:38. > :27:48.the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which will be the official host of
:27:48. > :27:56.
:27:56. > :28:01.Kroell will still be on the team then.
:28:01. > :28:11.Half a second. This is very respectable racing from Klaus
:28:11. > :28:21.Kroell.. A little chance to refuel. Cuts through the air. Good
:28:21. > :28:38.
:28:38. > :28:48.Kroell. He is in seventh place, another top 10 result for the
:28:48. > :28:56.Austrian. In the start, Benjamin Thomsen from Canada, an exciting
:28:56. > :29:04.young prospect. Just five feet seven inches tall, 12.5 stone, not
:29:04. > :29:09.your typical downhill racer. He is one of the poor men of the circuit
:29:09. > :29:12.as well, last summer he lived in a warehouse next to his father's
:29:13. > :29:19.masonry business and collected comes on bottles to redeem are the
:29:19. > :29:28.local recycling depot next door to gain extra cash. Eventually his
:29:28. > :29:32.friends took pity on him, held an auction and raised 15,000 Canadian
:29:32. > :29:42.dollars to keep him on the road. A good investment following those
:29:42. > :29:47.
:29:48. > :29:53.excellent results in Chamonix last weekend. A good start here. Now he
:29:53. > :30:03.has gone a little further away, 0.7 to one down, but he was quick in
:30:03. > :30:12.
:30:12. > :30:19.training. -- 0.71. A good jump. Oh my word, that was long. He took out
:30:19. > :30:27.this huge amount of the track by clearing it in the air! Remarkable!
:30:27. > :30:37.Benjamin Thomsen flies again. Second! Brilliant again from young
:30:37. > :30:45.
:30:45. > :30:51.Thomsen, picking up their huge amount of speed on the course. He
:30:51. > :30:56.came to the fore in Chamonix last weekend and he has really stamped
:30:56. > :31:01.his authority on this course. A brilliant run for the Canadian.
:31:01. > :31:11.There for first World Cup downhill race in Russia is won by Beat Feuz
:31:11. > :31:16.
:31:16. > :31:22.with another fantastic result for Office for the reigning champion,
:31:22. > :31:28.Didier Defago, who finished down intent. Aksel Lund Svindal could
:31:28. > :31:34.only finish in 13th place, and Jan Hudec finished way of the place in
:31:34. > :31:37.24th position. At the top it was really rough, a bumpy. Usually I
:31:37. > :31:43.can perform better in these positions but sometimes you can
:31:43. > :31:53.only do so much. I knew I just have to keep charging, put my head down
:31:53. > :31:59.and go for it. It is unbelievable that the first win here where the
:31:59. > :32:04.Olympic Games will be in two years, it is unbelievable. In the end it
:32:04. > :32:09.was youth rather than experienced that won the game. It was not the
:32:09. > :32:14.top technical part of the course that was the key, it was the big
:32:14. > :32:21.sweeping turns that won him the race. It bodes well for him come
:32:21. > :32:24.the Olympic Games. Britain's Shelley Rudman is the skeleton
:32:24. > :32:30.World Cup champion after finishing third in the final race of the
:32:30. > :32:35.season. The race in Canada which took place on Thursday was won by
:32:35. > :32:40.her team-mate, but Shelley Rudman secured enough points to take her
:32:41. > :32:47.first overall title. So British prospects for Sochi 24 team is
:32:48. > :32:53.looking promising. We will be back next week for the women's downhill.
:32:53. > :32:58.Press your red button straight after today's show for the men's
:32:58. > :33:02.super combined. As you may have noticed, downhill skiers are a
:33:02. > :33:08.breed apart. Their fear knows no bounds and they have adrenaline on
:33:08. > :33:16.tap. They are the undisputed kings of the Mountains... I used to think
:33:16. > :33:22.that, until I met this man. If you want to be a real alchemist, you
:33:22. > :33:32.have to climb the rock face. I always fight my target, and I just
:33:32. > :33:33.
:33:33. > :33:40.went for it. The idea is the grandfather of Alpine faces. Its
:33:40. > :33:45.German translation has been renamed "murder Wall" but man has always
:33:45. > :33:50.strived to conquer the greatest challenges. The first successful
:33:50. > :33:54.ascent of the north face in 1938 was made in three days. Reaching
:33:54. > :34:04.the summit remains an incredible achievement, but the development of
:34:04. > :34:04.
:34:04. > :34:14.speed climbing has produced results that are simply mind-blowing.
:34:14. > :34:15.
:34:15. > :34:20.climbing is a sport. You start, you run on a slope. You are not walking.
:34:20. > :34:28.It is very dangerous if you make a mistake and you fall off, then
:34:28. > :34:33.there is only one ago to the limit. I made my strategy. The lower part,
:34:33. > :34:43.the first 500 metres, that is not steep and you have to go as fast as
:34:43. > :34:45.
:34:45. > :34:55.you can. But then there are parts in which you should not be too fast.
:34:55. > :34:57.
:34:57. > :35:06.Mistakes are possible. Sometimes your foot slipped a bit, but if you
:35:06. > :35:14.have good ice access you can move fast. Can you feel the rock with
:35:14. > :35:19.your pick? Yes Camino 100%. If you move too fast, a mistake is
:35:19. > :35:25.possible. I a lot of people would look at this and say it is insane.
:35:25. > :35:30.Was there any point you scared yourself? A know, I was never
:35:30. > :35:36.scared. People call me an extreme climate, but I am not extreme at
:35:36. > :35:44.all. What I am doing is totally normal for me. You control the
:35:44. > :35:51.situation, it is the perfect run. You stand on the whole with your
:35:51. > :35:59.crampons, and you look down and there is air below but you believe
:35:59. > :36:04.on this edge because I am standing here, I am not falling off. A one
:36:04. > :36:08.of the things that struck me is after that incredible exertion on
:36:08. > :36:14.the vertical face, you reach the snowfield at the last part of the
:36:14. > :36:19.climb, and you are powering up there, literally running. Yes, it
:36:19. > :36:29.burns, it hurts, but I am almost there and you try to go as fast as
:36:29. > :36:36.
:36:36. > :36:42.you can. Pushing the limits. Yes, just do what you can't. -- can.
:36:42. > :36:48.Were you genuinely amazed when you saw the time? I looked at the time
:36:48. > :36:52.and I thought it was not possible, the watch was broken. I checked the
:36:52. > :36:58.second one at the same time, and I was amazed. He had smashed his own
:36:58. > :37:02.record for a solo ascent of the Tiger's north face by over an hour.
:37:02. > :37:08.Many believed it was a record only he could touch, but in spring last
:37:08. > :37:14.year, Daniel Arnold reach the summit in just two hours 28, almost
:37:14. > :37:19.20 minutes quicker. That is something you have to accept. You
:37:19. > :37:24.can never compare the different records because the mountain is
:37:24. > :37:29.always different. I've free climbed the whole face, he pulled the ropes.
:37:29. > :37:34.I am proud, I was the first who really pushed it to that limit.
:37:34. > :37:44.Climbing without the rope, it is just pure snow, you can't cheat
:37:44. > :37:52.
:37:52. > :37:56.anything. It is just you and the the last snowfield towards the peak
:37:56. > :38:02.is one of the most impressive things I have seen on an athletic
:38:02. > :38:07.and a filming level. In 2014, Sochi will also host the Paralympics, and
:38:07. > :38:12.one British skier hoping to make his debut his former Royal Marine
:38:12. > :38:22.Pete Dunning. Graham met up with him earlier in the season to hear
:38:22. > :38:22.
:38:22. > :38:26.I can remember everything that happened on that day it up until
:38:26. > :38:30.the point of impact. If you are the leading vehicle, you don't know
:38:30. > :38:37.what is on the ground in front of you. You have just finished the
:38:37. > :38:44.mission, turning back to Camp Bastion. Another 10 days, and I
:38:44. > :38:52.would have gone home. We were under heavy contact. Basically my vehicle
:38:52. > :38:55.started to burn, and that was it. Four years ago, Lance Corporal Pete
:38:55. > :39:05.Dunning was about to complete his second tour of Afghanistan when the
:39:05. > :39:14.vehicle he was in drove over an explosive device. I was blown about
:39:14. > :39:18.15 metres. Pete was critically injured, and the driver was killed.
:39:18. > :39:25.The news crew was filming in the area at the time and captured his
:39:25. > :39:30.fight for life. It was pretty touch and go, wasn't it? Yes, I was
:39:30. > :39:37.literally knocking on the door, but thank God no one was in that day,
:39:37. > :39:41.quite literally. It could have gone either way, within a split second.
:39:41. > :39:47.At what point did you realise the extent of your injuries? I don't
:39:47. > :39:52.remember the first week or so. I remember snippets, but it was
:39:52. > :39:57.really about a week and a half after when I'm really properly came
:39:57. > :40:02.around and had my family around me at the bed. I was laid up in bed,
:40:02. > :40:10.no legs, I couldn't sit up, I had fractured my spine. There were
:40:10. > :40:16.times when I thought I'd just don't want to be here, I don't want this
:40:16. > :40:22.to be my life. What made you decide to take up one of the most
:40:22. > :40:31.dangerous sports in the Alps? Curiosity, really. When I was going
:40:31. > :40:39.through rehabilitation, they helped injured personnel get back into new
:40:39. > :40:44.sport they have never tried before. I decided skiing was for me. The
:40:44. > :40:49.opportunity came up to do two weeks in Bavaria skiing, and I thought
:40:49. > :40:53.why not? Pete has gone on to become a member of the British Paralympic
:40:53. > :40:57.skiing team, and he is not the only member of the squad with a military
:40:57. > :41:04.background. Do you think servicemen are particularly attractive to
:41:05. > :41:09.skiing because of the danger of the sport? I think so, yes. Being
:41:09. > :41:13.injured, it is just what the military love, so when you are
:41:13. > :41:18.hurtling down a mountain it is really exciting, you get the
:41:18. > :41:23.adrenalin rush and everything. It is also good rehabilitation for you
:41:23. > :41:33.because obviously, for me to walk on these prosthetics, you need good
:41:33. > :41:34.
:41:34. > :41:39.balance. I am on one ski so that is good balancing, so, if nothing else,
:41:39. > :41:46.it is good rehabilitation. I know a lot of guys on wheelchairs and they
:41:46. > :41:51.say it gives them a real sense of freedom to travel a whole mountain.
:41:51. > :41:57.It is, because people who can just leave the wheelchairs at the bottom,
:41:57. > :42:02.they can get on the chairlift and off they go. They can be on their
:42:02. > :42:06.from 9am until the mounting closes basically. It is a fantastic
:42:06. > :42:11.feeling, that freedom you have. Empty-handed in Vancouver two years
:42:11. > :42:16.ago, Team G B is still waiting for its first Paralympic Alpine skiing
:42:16. > :42:22.medal. The squad is growing in strength and depth. There is a
:42:22. > :42:26.massive amount of servicemen who are going through what you have
:42:26. > :42:31.gone through. Do you think this will be the main feeder for the
:42:31. > :42:35.disabled teams? Definitely because clearly injured military, I
:42:36. > :42:45.personally think, are some of the best athletes to have. We are
:42:46. > :42:50.
:42:50. > :42:55.determined to be the best, and we are fit, young - some more us - so
:42:55. > :43:00.we have still some way to go in the sporting world. Looking back, what
:43:00. > :43:05.were your overriding feelings? people think it is the most strange
:43:05. > :43:10.thing to say, but I think getting blown up is one of the best things
:43:10. > :43:18.that happened to me. I am such a different person, more focused, and
:43:18. > :43:26.more determined than anything now to achieve what I want to achieve,
:43:26. > :43:32.getting into the Paralympics, and progress from there. what a truly
:43:32. > :43:36.incredible story of courage. What gets me is when he says getting
:43:36. > :43:41.blown up is the best thing that happened to him. It is truly