:00:47. > :00:52.Hello and welcome to a brand new series of Ski Sunday. We are in our
:00:53. > :01:01.36th year and this series promises to be a belter. We're back in the
:01:02. > :01:05.mountains to bring you winter sport action from all over the planet. Not
:01:06. > :01:08.only will we be bringing you the drama of legendary men's downhill
:01:09. > :01:11.races such as Wengen and Kitzbuhel, but in this Olympic year we're
:01:12. > :01:19.building toward the Winter Games in Sochi, which starts in under two
:01:20. > :01:25.months. We'll be speaking to the biggest international names in
:01:26. > :01:28.winter sport. And also catching up with the British athletes who have
:01:29. > :01:31.got a podium finish in Russia firmly in their sights. We'll be
:01:32. > :01:36.crisscrossing the globe to bring you unexpected stories of winter sport
:01:37. > :01:40.trailblazers. All of this coming to you from some of the most incerdible
:01:41. > :01:52.and beautiful locations. Ski Sunday - hold on tight. It's going to be a
:01:53. > :01:55.ride! Our first race of the year comes from the stunning French
:01:56. > :02:09.resort of Val D'Isere. It's the Men's Giant Slalom and the biggest
:02:10. > :02:12.names in Alpine skiing are here. Later in the programme, I catch up
:02:13. > :02:19.with snowboard legend and winter sport icon Shaun White. The Flying
:02:20. > :02:22.Tomato might have cut his trademark flowing red locks but that hasn't
:02:23. > :02:25.diminished his hunger for more Olympic gold in Sochi. The only time
:02:26. > :02:30.I am OK with losing is if I put everything on the line. If I did the
:02:31. > :02:34.best run I could, I can walk away content. And then British gold
:02:35. > :02:39.medallist from Vancouver Amy Williams takes us for a tour of Val
:02:40. > :02:48.D'Isere. This resort caters for beginners to ski racers to party
:02:49. > :02:54.fiends and everyone in between. First, the Giant Slalom. Either Ted
:02:55. > :02:59.Ligety will put this to bed early we shall have the most rheumatic race
:03:00. > :03:04.we have seen. He is a world champion, he has won six of the best
:03:05. > :03:09.eight races last season and he has dominated this season with first
:03:10. > :03:13.runs around one second ahead of the rest of the field. He has a love -
:03:14. > :03:18.hate relationship with this field. He has won her in the past but also
:03:19. > :03:25.a phenomenal crash. Was flying towards the net at 60 mph. He had
:03:26. > :03:31.the presence of mind to kick off his skis before hitting the net. Who
:03:32. > :03:38.will challenge and? Marcel Hirscher is incredible form, dominating that
:03:39. > :03:43.discipline. And the local favourite, Alexey controlled. The French cried
:03:44. > :03:49.the want him on the podium. Grand Slam is over to bonds. Only the
:03:50. > :03:51.fastest get to dissent a second time. This is what happened in the
:03:52. > :04:01.first run. Things were looking good for Ted
:04:02. > :04:07.Ligety. Conditions were just as he likes them. Hard and icy. When this
:04:08. > :04:08.happened, he looked more surprised than disappointed. Sliding out of
:04:09. > :04:17.the course. Alex Lund Svindal skied with his
:04:18. > :04:20.usual attacking technique, putting immense power onto his skis. Too
:04:21. > :04:23.much power, as it turned out. Svindal's ski binding breaking
:04:24. > :04:27.halfway down the run. Bode Miller went at the course with his
:04:28. > :04:32.trademark all or nothing style only to fall foul of the same turn that
:04:33. > :04:34.took down his team-mate, Ligety. Home favourite Alexis Pintalrault
:04:35. > :04:38.gave the home crowd something to cheer about with a clean, error-free
:04:39. > :04:41.run on this Face de Bellevarde piste. The Frenchman's pint-sized
:04:42. > :04:48.build clearly helping him on the steep icy turns. Austrian technician
:04:49. > :04:51.Marcel Hirscher produced a run that would be considered scrappy by his
:04:52. > :04:58.high standards but is still in touch of the Frenchman. Stephan Luitz
:04:59. > :05:01.scored his only podium result here last season and the confidence
:05:02. > :05:14.showed as he skied into second position. There is no shortage of
:05:15. > :05:22.drama. This is a first-time legatee has gone out in the first Grand Slam
:05:23. > :05:27.in five years. Looking at the threat to Alexis Pinturault, who are the
:05:28. > :05:33.main contenders? Marcel Hirscher, he won here last year, he could really
:05:34. > :05:37.narrow it on the second run. Stefan Luitz, second last, he did nothing
:05:38. > :05:43.for the rest of the season. He is back in second. He loves this
:05:44. > :05:50.course. Borja Matt Chilton for the commentary on the second run. The
:05:51. > :05:57.Olympic mountain is about to bear its day. It is rock hard, scarily
:05:58. > :06:04.steep and lightning fast. Courses don't come much tougher than this.
:06:05. > :06:16.In the gate, from Switzerland, 40 macro. 21st after his first run.
:06:17. > :06:26.They currently are is from Sweden. Andre Myhrer. He should favour this,
:06:27. > :06:31.he is attacking the top section. Unlike ordinary Giant Slalom.
:06:32. > :06:35.Because it is so steep, they have to set the gate so much tighter
:06:36. > :06:44.together so it is much closer to the slalom than super-G. He is lapping
:06:45. > :06:50.this up. Terrific start. Half a second in front. There are some tree
:06:51. > :06:54.and traps to come. He might get caught out by this very steep
:06:55. > :07:01.section, having to do dig the edges deep into the ice. He is going
:07:02. > :07:08.beautifully. 40 macro, one of the younger Swiss racers, having a ball
:07:09. > :07:14.in the second leg. Almost home. He can see the finishing line. He has
:07:15. > :07:18.three or four turns left to make and he will be at the foot of the
:07:19. > :07:36.mountain and he is there in first position. Gino Caviezel without
:07:37. > :07:44.storming second run. France. Victor Muffat Jeandet. He is just over the
:07:45. > :07:50.hill. Here he goes, the second run. His advantage over the new leader is
:07:51. > :07:55.just over one third of a second. The French team have the advantage of
:07:56. > :08:01.being camped in Val busier, training here. It was closed to recreational
:08:02. > :08:06.skiers and one or two other teams were allowed. The French have got a
:08:07. > :08:14.lot of local knowledge. He nails the top section. He doubled his
:08:15. > :08:24.advantage. Just before, there was quite a heavy edge said. I wonder if
:08:25. > :08:31.his lead will remain? Gino Caviezel, his time is better still. The French
:08:32. > :08:36.man is looking tired. He is giving it everything in their second run.
:08:37. > :08:39.Plenty more chances left to come. The French team are late on some of
:08:40. > :08:47.these final turns. But he keeps them coming. Emergency ministers. Victor
:08:48. > :08:58.Muffat Jeandet skiing for the lead in Val D'Isere. And he gets it,
:08:59. > :09:06.just. So tired. Austria, Benjamin Raich. 14 hundredths of a second
:09:07. > :09:16.faster than the leader, Victor Muffat Jeandet. He has a stack of
:09:17. > :09:23.experience. Looking ahead, one more Olympic Winter Games. He was a
:09:24. > :09:29.double Olympic champion in 2006. He took gold in the Giant Slalom and
:09:30. > :09:34.the slalom and he slowly, surely finding his best form as the Olympic
:09:35. > :09:43.selection is made within the mass of Austrian pool of talent. Half of a
:09:44. > :09:53.second behind Victor Muffat Jeandet. Oh, he has just messed it. He made a
:09:54. > :09:58.lot of time but not quite enough. Victor Muffat Jeandet remains in
:09:59. > :10:02.first position for France. Now, Henrik Kristoffersen, for Norway. He
:10:03. > :10:09.has had brilliant start to the season. He was third in the slalom
:10:10. > :10:16.in the first and only one that has taken place so far this season. He
:10:17. > :10:24.is bouncing. Clearly enjoying the tight gates on the top of this. His
:10:25. > :10:41.lead at the start was 22 hundredths of a second and has he gone red? And
:10:42. > :10:45.he has got the green light. Alex Lund Svindal, his binding parted
:10:46. > :10:50.company with his skis. Henrik Kristoffersen is the best Norwegian
:10:51. > :10:55.and he is having a pretty solid second run and he is getting
:10:56. > :11:03.quicker. Into the bottom quarter and Henrik Kristoffersen's lead is zero
:11:04. > :11:10.point 32. The young Norwegian is wrapping things up. This is
:11:11. > :11:16.impossibly steep. He is making this look very straightforward. And that
:11:17. > :11:20.is a significant lead. Henrik Kristoffersen, from Norway. The
:11:21. > :11:25.Norwegian teenager, Henrik Kristoffersen, one of this new breed
:11:26. > :11:32.of skiers coming through and proving to be very promising.
:11:33. > :11:44.Luca De Aliprandini. From Italy. Standing tall. He looks pretty
:11:45. > :11:52.relaxed. And he gets to work. 12 position after the first run and
:11:53. > :11:59.that was an explosive start. He has never really made his mark in the
:12:00. > :12:03.World Cup. He has had some top 15 places but this could be the day to
:12:04. > :12:09.break through. The Italians have had some training in the run-up and
:12:10. > :12:13.chose the sure number of racers they have in the second run. Luca De
:12:14. > :12:20.Aliprandini, adding to his advantage. 14 hundredths of a second
:12:21. > :12:25.in front of Henrik Kristoffersen. He is watching on that extreme and he
:12:26. > :12:31.can see the man himself. Luca De Aliprandini, he comes into sight and
:12:32. > :12:38.still has the green light. He cuts that timing beam with 12 hundredths
:12:39. > :12:43.of a second. Just slightly late on that red gate but I do not think he
:12:44. > :12:51.lost much speed. He can let them run. These final three turns.
:12:52. > :13:04.Exciting race! And he has got it! More than half of a second. X macro
:13:05. > :13:08.on fire. What a run! The grand slalom champion was nicknamed the
:13:09. > :13:16.Iceman in 2010 but recently his career has been put on ice. Problems
:13:17. > :13:23.have plagued him. Finally, he is fully fit again. He showed signs of
:13:24. > :13:29.early churn to form with an excellent top six finish in Beaver
:13:30. > :13:36.Creek last weekend. He goes again. This is the hill where he was
:13:37. > :13:42.crowned world champion in 2009. The World Championships were held here,
:13:43. > :13:46.at Val D'Isere. The following year he went on to win Olympic gold on
:13:47. > :13:57.the solar mountain so he knows this modern and he likes it. -- Whistler
:13:58. > :14:04.Mountain. Is this good enough? No, he has drifted into the red. The
:14:05. > :14:08.Swiss will be greatly encouraged by what they have seen. In the last two
:14:09. > :14:13.seasons, Carlo Janka has been relatively anonymous, he had a heart
:14:14. > :14:17.problem that needed surgery and the resulting lack of form. But he seems
:14:18. > :14:22.to be bouncing back just in time for the Olympic Winter Games, where the
:14:23. > :14:31.Swiss do not have that many to choose from. Lots of good downhill
:14:32. > :14:39.and super-G but a slight lack of choice within the Giant Slalom. Luca
:14:40. > :14:45.De Aliprandini, his lead is safe. Carlo Janka is only good enough for
:14:46. > :14:50.fourth place. Looking tired and slow. But he will be happy. All of
:14:51. > :14:54.the results are having this world ranking and improving his start
:14:55. > :15:00.under for the next race. Another Italian. Roberto Nani. Ninth place
:15:01. > :15:07.after that first run. Traffic effort this morning. He has got the
:15:08. > :15:13.sunshine to lead the way as the sun begins to burn off the clouds. His
:15:14. > :15:18.lead is over his team-mate, Luca De Aliprandini, who still stands in the
:15:19. > :15:24.leader 's enclosure. This is a very good start! He has taken chance
:15:25. > :15:29.after chance. He just had to go sideways as he went from the
:15:30. > :15:35.relatively flat to be steep section and I wonder if that might have cost
:15:36. > :15:45.him the next time? That might just catch up with him. It is not
:15:46. > :15:50.textbook style from Roberto Nani but it is good enough and he is still in
:15:51. > :15:55.front by just under half a second, making up for the mistake with some
:15:56. > :15:58.good, clean, accurate turns. Finishing the turn right on the
:15:59. > :16:11.gate, starting the next one high. This is solid. Brilliant skiing. We
:16:12. > :16:21.could have an Italian 1-2-macro. -- 1-2. Roberto Nani leads the way for
:16:22. > :16:25.Italy. Roberto Nani showing some amazing recovery skills just before
:16:26. > :16:30.the intermediate time. He was right on the tail of his skis and had to
:16:31. > :16:40.pull himself forward. Brilliant start. The best of the Swedes. Matts
:16:41. > :16:51.Olsson. Good effort when the course was quite trotted up. His lead after
:16:52. > :16:55.the first run over Roberto Nani. Big Swedish contingent here in Val
:16:56. > :17:01.D'Isere. A lot of them have come out to support Matts Olsson. How is he
:17:02. > :17:08.doing on the top? Looks like he has got the better of the flatter
:17:09. > :17:14.section. He is in touch. About three tenths have vanished from his lead
:17:15. > :17:20.and he will have to work really hard on the steep, second half of this
:17:21. > :17:26.slope, which hosted the Olympics in 1992. All of the men's Alpine events
:17:27. > :17:32.apart from the slalom. It has hosted the World Cup for the past 58 years.
:17:33. > :17:40.In 2009 it completed a hat-trick by hosting the Alpine skiing World
:17:41. > :17:45.Championships. Matts Olsson, I am not sure he has done enough to beat
:17:46. > :17:51.Roberto Nani, but he might just be between the two Italians. Not quite.
:17:52. > :18:03.Third. Italians in first and second, that remains intact. Fritz Dopfer,
:18:04. > :18:08.sixth after the first run. 0.71. The Germans have Fritz Dopfer racing now
:18:09. > :18:14.and then of course the incredible Stefan Luitz, very much the Val
:18:15. > :18:19.D'Isere specialist. He was second a year ago. He will be the last but
:18:20. > :18:27.one man on the Hill before Alexis Pinturault sets the French hearts
:18:28. > :18:32.beating fast. Fritz Dopfer meanwhile seems to be going solidly enough.
:18:33. > :18:41.Half a second in front, so he has shared a couple of tenths. A little
:18:42. > :18:46.skid sideways. Trying desperately not to be too hard and heavy on his
:18:47. > :18:51.edges. Sometimes impossible because the course is so rock-hard. They
:18:52. > :18:55.have injected water in, let it freeze overnight, artificially
:18:56. > :19:02.hardening the course is to make it as icy as possible. Some racers like
:19:03. > :19:07.it and some hate it. Fritz Dopfer seems to be somewhere in between.
:19:08. > :19:14.Roberto Nani leads the way for Italy. Germany's Fritz Dopfer
:19:15. > :19:25.chaffing that time. It is only fifth in the end for Fritz Dopfer. --
:19:26. > :19:43.Fritz Dopfer chasing that time. Could there be an Italian one here?
:19:44. > :19:47.-- 123 here? Highly experienced, he has had some promising results in
:19:48. > :20:00.technical events this season, man Fred Mould, but it is a while since
:20:01. > :20:05.he has claimed a World Cup victory. -- Manfred Moelgg. He lost time on
:20:06. > :20:13.that sudden change of direction. He traversed across the front and look
:20:14. > :20:21.at the result. Just 13 hundredths. And Manfred Moelgg is struggling to
:20:22. > :20:26.keep up with the demands of this slave. The gates are coming thick
:20:27. > :20:31.and fast. No time to get ready for the next gate before it bites you in
:20:32. > :20:39.the backside. Manfred Moelgg is struggling. I think Roberto's lead
:20:40. > :20:44.is safe. There will be an Italian in top spot but it will not be Manfred
:20:45. > :20:51.Moelgg. Good enough for fourth. Roberto Nani still leads with four
:20:52. > :20:59.to go. In the gate, one of two French men still to tackle this
:21:00. > :21:02.course. He comes from an area just two hours away. A big contingent
:21:03. > :21:09.have travelled across on this Saturday morning to watch him race.
:21:10. > :21:16.Thomas Fanara is off to a very steady start. Lovely turns at the
:21:17. > :21:21.top and plenty in reserve as well. A lead of 0.86 over Roberto Nani
:21:22. > :21:25.coming into this second run. Through the banana gate nicely. He heads
:21:26. > :21:31.from one side to the other and things start to take on a different
:21:32. > :21:38.complexion. The mountain gets mighty steep. Still with the green light
:21:39. > :21:42.and the upper hand. Thomas Fanara could make another little mistake
:21:43. > :21:47.and still be on course to take the lead away from Roberto Nani. The
:21:48. > :21:52.French still have Alexis Pinturault to come. Thomas Fanara is flying.
:21:53. > :22:02.Beautiful turn. He has so much strength. Light on his edges. Sweet
:22:03. > :22:06.skiing from the local man. Thomas Fanara almost there and skiing for
:22:07. > :22:12.the lead for the French team in Val D'Isere. And he has got it by more
:22:13. > :22:20.than half a second! That was tremendous from Thomas Fanara. And
:22:21. > :22:24.look at the French crowd going mad. Thomas Fanara taking the lead. He
:22:25. > :22:30.was slow on the top section of course but then further down he was
:22:31. > :22:35.brilliant, matching Roberto Nani down those steep and difficult
:22:36. > :22:40.turns. That has got the crowd warmed up. Marcel Hirscher is the first
:22:41. > :22:49.skier to win the overall world title without racing the skiing events
:22:50. > :22:57.since the great Alberto. Can he repeat last season's success here?
:22:58. > :23:03.Marcel Hirscher had a very good but not perfect first run. Dead level
:23:04. > :23:06.with Thomas Fanara coming into this second leg. Marcel Hirscher will
:23:07. > :23:10.really attack the top section when it is relatively flat, and it will
:23:11. > :23:15.suit him down to the ground. He is throwing everything down the hill.
:23:16. > :23:24.He has to be careful the speed does not get away from him as he hits the
:23:25. > :23:32.steep. He had to harness the power he builds up at the top. Look at the
:23:33. > :23:36.lead! 0.58, so a massive advantage for Marcel Hirscher. He is in really
:23:37. > :23:41.good shape now. Attacking the steep section and then he is in trouble.
:23:42. > :23:47.He jams the skis sideways, and emergency manoeuvre to get himself
:23:48. > :23:52.out of trouble, and still his lead of over half a second remains
:23:53. > :23:57.intact, such is the measure of his technical skiing skills. He can put
:23:58. > :24:01.the brakes on but not lose any speed. Remarkable. Marcel Hirscher
:24:02. > :24:06.about to break French hearts in Val D'Isere. They still have Alexis
:24:07. > :24:13.Pinturault to come later but at the moment Marcel Hirscher leads the way
:24:14. > :24:17.with a masterclass. Fantastic. That silenced the French crowd but they
:24:18. > :24:20.love ski racing here so unappreciative round of applause.
:24:21. > :24:28.Marcel Hirscher absolutely nailed that run. He was not happy with his
:24:29. > :24:32.last run, so he just went for it. A slight mistake when his skis skidded
:24:33. > :24:38.out from under him but most of the time he was getting clean times and
:24:39. > :24:42.accelerating down the course. Stefan Luitz is ready to race for the
:24:43. > :24:48.second time today. A brilliant first run. He skied into second position,
:24:49. > :24:54.and that is where he finished this race, behind Alexis Pinturault, 12
:24:55. > :24:58.months ago. He has been quite anonymous since. Very much the Val
:24:59. > :25:04.D'Isere course specialist. He is on his way here at his lead is
:25:05. > :25:08.minimal, 11 hundredths of a second. I can't see that this top section is
:25:09. > :25:20.good enough to match Marcel Hirscher. He is so far in a
:25:21. > :25:24.different leader. Stefan Luitz looks unlikely to repeat the heroics of 12
:25:25. > :25:32.months ago and Marcel Hirscher's lead is intact. Making heavy going
:25:33. > :25:35.of this, it skiing a few extra metres. You can see the skidding
:25:36. > :25:41.turns and that puff of smoke a sign that he is not carving. He is
:25:42. > :25:51.skidding the skis through and having to break and slow himself down with
:25:52. > :25:55.the racing line. Marcel Hirscher's lead is intact. It will come down to
:25:56. > :26:04.the last man on the mountain, Alexis Pinturault, for the moment. He was
:26:05. > :26:08.born just down the valley from Val D'Isere and he knows these slopes
:26:09. > :26:15.well. He took his first World Cup slalom win here last season, but GS
:26:16. > :26:21.is his preferred event. He is one of an elite group of skiers to beat Ted
:26:22. > :26:25.Ligety in recent years. Excitement and tension at the foot of this
:26:26. > :26:29.slope as the last man on the mountain gets ready to race. He just
:26:30. > :26:34.had to hold himself there. In danger of opening the timing being early.
:26:35. > :26:41.That would not be good but he is away now, and cleanly. Attacking the
:26:42. > :26:51.time set by Marcel Hirscher, the last man on the mountain. He has a
:26:52. > :26:57.lead of 0.41. Can he make it count? He failed to a year ago when Marcel
:26:58. > :27:00.Hirscher was leading. He has his hand down and he
:27:01. > :27:01.Hirscher was leading. He has his from the racing line and paying
:27:02. > :27:06.price. Not point to wait off the pace, so not going according to
:27:07. > :27:18.plan. -- 0.28 off the pace. pace, so not going according to
:27:19. > :27:24.French are desperate for a home win. Alexis Pinturault is getting further
:27:25. > :27:29.removed from Marcel Hirscher's time. The mistakes are coming thick
:27:30. > :27:37.and fast. The tension and the pressure just too much once again.
:27:38. > :27:40.Marcel Hirscher is about to win the Val D'Isere giant slalom. There is
:27:41. > :27:47.no way back for Alexis Pinturault now and he finishes fourth. Marcel
:27:48. > :27:51.Hirscher takes win. Just goes to show you do not always get what you
:27:52. > :27:55.want. He looked a little nervous and stiff and he made a big mistake on
:27:56. > :28:02.that right-hander, the sharp one, just as you onto the steep. Then his
:28:03. > :28:07.time just drifted away and he did not get those clean turns that
:28:08. > :28:11.Marcel Hirscher was able to nail on the steep section. Marcel Hirscher
:28:12. > :28:14.wins in Val D'Isere by three quarters of a second to Thomas
:28:15. > :28:21.Fanara with Stefan Luitz on the podium again. Alexis Pinturault
:28:22. > :28:27.fourth and Roberto Nani fifth. I don't know what happened here in Val
:28:28. > :28:32.D'Isere. I like this hill very much. I will come back every year and it
:28:33. > :28:36.is so funny to race here. I am very happy I got second place. It is not
:28:37. > :28:42.a victory here in France but for me it is almost the same. For a lot of
:28:43. > :28:50.people of my town, they were there and I am very happy for them to do
:28:51. > :28:57.it well in front of their eyes. I have never seen this race Hill in
:28:58. > :29:06.such hard conditions. It is icy like an ice skating place. It is
:29:07. > :29:16.definitely a really big difference between the last one and here. So
:29:17. > :29:21.Alexis Pinturault misses out on the podium but Marcel Hirscher did
:29:22. > :29:25.brilliantly. He nailed that second run with superb skiing, carving and
:29:26. > :29:28.accelerating all the way. I thought Alexis Pinturault would have done
:29:29. > :29:32.better on the second run and he missed out on the podium. Stefan
:29:33. > :29:37.Luitz is going to have to find somewhere else to podium because his
:29:38. > :29:40.two only podium results have come from Val D'Isere. Time to catch up
:29:41. > :29:45.with all the goings-on in the world of winter sport. This is the news.
:29:46. > :29:49.Great Britain's Lizzie Yarnold is off to a superb start in the
:29:50. > :29:52.skeleton World Cup. The world junior champion took bronze in Lake Placid
:29:53. > :29:55.on Friday to add to her gold and silver from Calgary and Utah
:29:56. > :30:00.respectively and sits top of the rankings after three events. The
:30:01. > :30:07.experienced Shelley Rudman has started solidly as well. She's lying
:30:08. > :30:11.in third place overall. In skiing, Britain's Chemmy Alcott is looking
:30:12. > :30:15.to get back on track for Sochi. She's been back on snow for the
:30:16. > :30:28.first time in four months this week after recovering from a broken leg.
:30:29. > :30:32.Shaun White busy first truly mainstream icon of snowboarding and
:30:33. > :30:37.opinion within the sport over his career choices is divided, no one
:30:38. > :30:44.can deny that he has single-handedly raised the sports profile. 13 X
:30:45. > :30:48.Games gold medals and he will want to build on his two Olympic golds.
:30:49. > :30:56.One thing is for certain - you cannot ignore Shaun White. There is
:30:57. > :31:05.all of snowboarding and then there is Shaun White snowboarding. Love or
:31:06. > :31:13.hate him, he is a machine. Shaun White is just Shaun White. I have
:31:14. > :31:22.been doing this for a very long time. Funny to say that. Even the
:31:23. > :31:29.men around my age, I started competing ten years before them. I
:31:30. > :31:35.was professional and 13. I already have sponsors since I was seven.
:31:36. > :31:42.Everybody was in the mid-20s at that point and I was, OK, I have to be
:31:43. > :31:47.better. Off the bat, I set the bar pretty high, I had to be better than
:31:48. > :31:52.these fully grown, men. They were competing against me. I had to be
:31:53. > :32:00.better. I had to learn their tricks and better that. Do you feel that
:32:01. > :32:06.your life is starting to work in the rhythm of Olympic cycles? You did
:32:07. > :32:12.Vancouver, you had downtime to refresh yourself and then you are
:32:13. > :32:18.building towards 2014? It is hard to describe because I truly dislike it
:32:19. > :32:23.and love it at the same time. You don't really realise how great is
:32:24. > :32:28.until it is over. It gives everything purpose. Today, I woke up
:32:29. > :32:34.chose a healthy rather breakfast than this because of the Olympics.
:32:35. > :32:38.Oh, I will go into the ice bath so my muscles will be great for the
:32:39. > :32:44.next day because of the lyrics. Everything has got this big gold.
:32:45. > :32:51.After my first Olympics, I did not know what to do with myself.
:32:52. > :33:01.Literally, I did it! All right! What do you do? And, I kind of, to be
:33:02. > :33:07.truthful, I got depressed, I did not know what to do and I lost my next
:33:08. > :33:12.event the next season. Second place. After that season, that was a loss.
:33:13. > :33:16.And I did not really know how to make myself feel the same, that
:33:17. > :33:24.feeling at the Olympics. It is amazing but I like that, it gives me
:33:25. > :33:31.a lot of purpose and a lot of... Things to look forward to. Shaun
:33:32. > :33:41.White! Tomahawk! That is mind blowing! His second gold medal. The
:33:42. > :33:48.ultimate competitor. It is OK to be competitive. Ever since he arrived,
:33:49. > :33:53.he has been unashamedly out to win. It is an attitude that has split the
:33:54. > :33:55.world. In a sport that has antiestablishment roots, winning at
:33:56. > :34:01.all costs instead of riding for kick does not appeal to everyone. It is
:34:02. > :34:06.so bizarre. The sport is built around that, everybody is friends,
:34:07. > :34:11.and we like each other and we are cool but if you are entering any
:34:12. > :34:15.competition, you want to win. I mean... If you wanted to just ride
:34:16. > :34:21.with your friends, it is funny because everybody gets to the
:34:22. > :34:27.bottom. How was it? I am just having a great time with my friends! I am
:34:28. > :34:36.just so stoked! I said the same things because it is so easy. For
:34:37. > :34:44.me, I just started to put my emotions onto my sleeves. I started
:34:45. > :34:48.to speak the truth. And most riders, I want to say they are the
:34:49. > :34:56.same, they are starting to realise it is OK to win. To want to win. You
:34:57. > :35:02.are such a competitor, when that day comes, whether it is in two years or
:35:03. > :35:12.12 years, you have to accept that losing is OK? Will you? I wish I
:35:13. > :35:18.could say... To truthfully say it would be OK. The only time I am OK
:35:19. > :35:23.with losing is if I literally put everything on the line. If I did the
:35:24. > :35:28.test run I could and then I can walk away content. If I put my best run
:35:29. > :35:32.on and somebody beat it, they deserved to win and they are the
:35:33. > :35:36.best moments because what happens after is such an amazing thing. I
:35:37. > :35:51.wish I could tap into that all of the time. You have been so
:35:52. > :36:01.successful, have you ever felt like it is lonely but the top? Yes,
:36:02. > :36:05.within the sport, for sure. It has been somewhat lonely. But I have
:36:06. > :36:11.never lived in the mountains, any sport, I always go home and hang
:36:12. > :36:18.with my friends and my family. I was describe myself as very big at
:36:19. > :36:22.multitasking, always doing something different. I'm biggest passion at
:36:23. > :36:26.the moment is playing music because it is so much fun and there is no
:36:27. > :36:30.competition and the band I play in our just for show. And I remember
:36:31. > :36:36.feeling pretty nervous but more excited nervous. It was awesome,
:36:37. > :36:42.went onto stage and normally I am alone. On that halfpipe. All of
:36:43. > :36:47.these men are with me, this is great. I was not carrying the grip
:36:48. > :37:01.on my back. Everybody was doing their part. I like that. And
:37:02. > :37:07.that's... It has been interesting. Reading between the lines, what do
:37:08. > :37:11.you think? Shaun White is a jock, he has the values of a sportsman and in
:37:12. > :37:16.any other sport, those values would be cherished but in snowboarding, a
:37:17. > :37:21.sport that next to think it has a soul at its heart, there is a very
:37:22. > :37:29.uneasy truce that exists. Can he backed that up? More medals in
:37:30. > :37:33.Sochi? Vancouver, he won with his first run, the second was the
:37:34. > :37:38.victory lap. In Sochi he will get pushed harder because there is a
:37:39. > :37:43.young Japanese rider, they will passion. But in slopestyle, the new
:37:44. > :37:47.kid on the block, he will find it harder. There were such depth in
:37:48. > :37:52.that field. And a podium could be beyond him. Mainly because of Great
:37:53. > :38:07.Britain and one of our medal hopes. Billy Morgan. Billy Morgan. I
:38:08. > :38:13.started after skiing with my school and I was 14. Slopestyle is
:38:14. > :38:21.basically sliding from the top to the bottom and leading five or six
:38:22. > :38:26.jumps or handrails. You need good a real awareness for those jumps. Good
:38:27. > :38:32.balance on those rails. Creativity comes in hugely to making your
:38:33. > :38:36.tricks with different. Success in Sochi, if I manage the podium, that
:38:37. > :38:45.would make me so happy after four years of training. It would mean
:38:46. > :38:53.everything to me, for sure. How did he get so good? Gymnastics. He was
:38:54. > :38:58.tumbling and lots of snowboarders don't have that bedrock. Is he a
:38:59. > :39:04.genuine contender? In Vancouver it was about double quirks, in Sochi it
:39:05. > :39:10.is trouble and he is rumoured to have three of them on lockdown. What
:39:11. > :39:15.about the others? Jamie Nicholls is worthy of mention. He has two
:39:16. > :39:22.troubles that he can land and he is arguably the best real rider in the
:39:23. > :39:28.world. Have plenty to celebrate. Val D'Isere is one of our favourite
:39:29. > :39:31.resorts so we decided to send Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams
:39:32. > :39:36.on a tour of the time to show you what is on offer. I'll come to Val
:39:37. > :39:47.D'Isere. This time has got you covered. -- time. -- town. The
:39:48. > :39:53.results of culture and alpine atmosphere here and I hear that the
:39:54. > :39:58.skiing is pretty good, also. It is fantastic. Val D'Isere is home to
:39:59. > :40:03.Olympic champion Jean-Claude Jelly so the skiing area covering here and
:40:04. > :40:09.the neighbouring resort is named in his honour. But the 300 kilometres
:40:10. > :40:16.of pistes, ranging from the fast to this, part of a large zone. It is
:40:17. > :40:23.perfect for beginners and intermediate. The network of runs is
:40:24. > :40:33.impressive. But it is the expanse of incredible off piste Touraine but
:40:34. > :40:37.appeals to people. It is well worth investing in a guide and exploring
:40:38. > :40:42.this area. If you are looking for something more acrobatic, check out
:40:43. > :40:49.the snow puck. You can hang with locals or have a go yourself. --
:40:50. > :41:02.puck. Into apres-ski? You must go to an original folly. Live music and
:41:03. > :41:11.dancing every day. Come and have a look. After all that dancing, you
:41:12. > :41:19.could ski down I will just get into one of these bubbles. -- but I will.
:41:20. > :41:24.Here in Val D'Isere, there is so much to do that more than anything,
:41:25. > :41:29.there are so many restaurants. Tonight, and will stay traditional
:41:30. > :41:37.and stick with French food. -- I will. Traditional French modern food
:41:38. > :41:42.is about the meat and the cheese. After a long day shopping, it is
:41:43. > :41:48.great to relax among the many Byers with the holiday-makers. Miss
:41:49. > :41:55.Williams performing very well under pressure, there! I did not see her
:41:56. > :41:58.twerking! Ben Ayliffe exports are high octane and many are dangerous
:41:59. > :42:04.and almost all of them require brutal competitive edge. But in
:42:05. > :42:57.Vancouver 2010, a new sport left the public aghast. Cue the Beastie Boys.
:42:58. > :43:04.You will agree that is very impressive and for the first time on
:43:05. > :43:07.Ski Sunday, we will feature ski Cross next week. The perfect pick me
:43:08. > :43:13.up. And if you can't wait until then, Ski Sunday Extra brings you
:43:14. > :43:17.full coverage of the ski Cross from just down the valley in Val Thorens
:43:18. > :43:20.and is available now on the iPlayer. And for all you ski addicts, we have
:43:21. > :43:24.even more. Next Sunday from 12.15pm, we'll be bringing you live coverage
:43:25. > :43:27.of the Women's Giant Slalom on the Red Button and online. A perfect
:43:28. > :43:31.hors d'oevre to the Women's Downhill Race from right here in Val D'Isere,
:43:32. > :43:35.which will be our feature race on Ski Sunday at the slightly earlier
:43:36. > :43:38.time of 4:45pm. The fastest women on two skis will be hurtling down the
:43:39. > :43:41.mountain, including Tina Maze, Maria Hofl-Riesch and the great Lindsey
:43:42. > :43:45.Vonn continues her return from injury. As they cleared up,
:43:46. > :43:48.congratulations to the Austrian, repeating his performance from last
:43:49. > :43:55.year. Until next week - au revoir.