:00:56. > :01:04.You have to be very careful. Steep and challenging. It is the whole
:01:05. > :01:08.package. It's the jewel in the crown of the downhill season. The one they
:01:09. > :01:14.all want to win, but very few manage to conquer. Every time I think about
:01:15. > :01:17.it I get those butterflies. It is kind of uncomfortable at the star
:01:18. > :01:22.but you also kind of like it. Where one wrong move can spell ruin. A
:01:23. > :01:31.cauldron of fear, adrenaline, danger and noise.
:01:32. > :01:34.I love competing in front of a cloud. It just brings out the best
:01:35. > :01:39.in me. Unforgiving and brutal. This is a course that's feared and
:01:40. > :01:49.respected. But a place where the best form of defence is attack. It
:01:50. > :01:53.is a real rush. You can't think about what you are doing. Win here
:01:54. > :01:58.and you write your name into the history books. It is a wonderful
:01:59. > :02:02.feeling. You just keep down the slope. I guess it is a really
:02:03. > :02:19.special one. This is what it is all about. Welcome to Kitzbuhel.
:02:20. > :02:25.So we're back in Austria, and it's the big one. The men's downhill on
:02:26. > :02:28.the famous Hahnenkamm here in Kitzbuhel is the pinnacle of the
:02:29. > :02:38.Alpine racing calendar, and up there with the Olympics in terms of
:02:39. > :02:42.prestige for these brave racers. That is what Bode told me anyway.
:02:43. > :02:44.Later in the show, we'll take a trip with Olympic Gold Medallist Amy
:02:45. > :02:48.Williams and discover the science behind the sport of skeleton, an
:02:49. > :02:51.event where Team GB have a great chance of claiming some precious
:02:52. > :02:55.metal at the Sochi games, just as Amy did in Vancouver four years ago.
:02:56. > :03:02.I can tell you now there's plenty more to it than meets the eye!
:03:03. > :03:05.But back to matters in hand, and there's one man who will be dreaming
:03:06. > :03:09.of taking the Kitzbuhel crown more than most this weekend. Bode Miller.
:03:10. > :03:12.One of the most successful skiers of his generation, but never a winner
:03:13. > :03:14.here. After a year out through injury which was compounded by
:03:15. > :03:18.family tragedy, the enigmatic American is looking strong once
:03:19. > :03:20.more, and he may be peaking at just the right time. Graham has been to
:03:21. > :03:42.speak to the great man. In the beginning of my ski racing
:03:43. > :03:49.career I was racing guys who had a style of skiing that was much more
:03:50. > :03:58.mass oriented. Super-G was much less turning than now and it is much less
:03:59. > :04:03.oriented. It was to do with being bigger and so that is the direction
:04:04. > :04:08.I went. Now it has changed. There are still some big guys. But I am
:04:09. > :04:14.one of the top ten heaviest guys in the World Cup was so it is a
:04:15. > :04:19.different sport now a little bit. Family is clearly important for
:04:20. > :04:24.Miller and the sudden and unexpected death of his brother came as a real
:04:25. > :04:31.shock. It did not seem like he was in any way of -- in any danger of
:04:32. > :04:37.just dying out of nothing. That was a really huge blow to my family. I
:04:38. > :04:42.am sort of the one they lean on in those situations so it was tough. A
:04:43. > :04:46.welcome addition to the finish area this season has been his wife
:04:47. > :04:51.Morgan. We have gone through a tonne right away and she is a really
:04:52. > :04:55.difficult woman in a lot of ways but she is amazing. She is super night
:04:56. > :04:59.at -- she is super nice and really smart and compassionate and as a
:05:00. > :05:04.really emotional side. She loves family. She is one-of-a-kind for
:05:05. > :05:09.sure. Are you getting a little bit frustrated with the comeback? You
:05:10. > :05:26.have shown flashes of brilliance. You have shown flashes of speed.
:05:27. > :05:29.Yes, I definitely have the speed. There is no question, I have never
:05:30. > :05:32.doubted that but it is frustrating to not have the results at this
:05:33. > :05:34.point in the season. There have been a lot of races already and I
:05:35. > :05:38.expected to have some wins under my belt. These are the classic races.
:05:39. > :05:41.This is the crux of the season. I was hoping to come back and have the
:05:42. > :05:43.luck and have things go my way with the weather and with the skis but
:05:44. > :05:47.this is the time in the season where you really need to turn it around
:05:48. > :05:51.and I think luck is either going to shift or not but I am definitely
:05:52. > :05:56.going to try and put down my best results here. Cards on the table, I
:05:57. > :06:03.can name-mac win this? I think you definitely can. He was fastest in
:06:04. > :06:07.their training run. I bumped into him in the inspection and T said he
:06:08. > :06:13.was glad they had prepared the downhill like a man raise -- man's
:06:14. > :06:20.race. Then he used some choice words. I think it always skis better
:06:21. > :06:26.when he is relaxed, how will he deal with the pressure? I do not feel he
:06:27. > :06:30.feels any pressure. A lot of people think he will retire after the
:06:31. > :06:36.Olympics, what do you think? I do not know because Didier Cuche ran
:06:37. > :06:41.this waste -- won this race at 36 and if Bode wins here he may want to
:06:42. > :06:46.come back and defend the win. I am not 100% sure he will retire. It is
:06:47. > :06:52.not all about Bode but there are other viable contenders such as
:06:53. > :06:59.Aksel Lund Svindal. He has not win here and he will want to win here to
:07:00. > :07:11.give him confidence for Saatchi. It is possible that we could have a
:07:12. > :07:16.Swiss winner. Now it is time to get up close and personal with the
:07:17. > :07:23.challenge that faces our races. Luckily we have one man who has the
:07:24. > :07:27.guts to take it on. Staring this beast of a mountain square in the
:07:28. > :07:36.eyes once again, it's our very own mountain slayer, Graham Bell.
:07:37. > :07:42.When we rolled in a couple of days ago the town was green. The
:07:43. > :07:47.organisers have had to face a lack of snow and then too much snow. They
:07:48. > :07:55.have moved Cal and high water to get this race underway. The top of the
:07:56. > :07:59.course is as challenging as ever. This is one of the biggest jumps on
:08:00. > :08:06.the course, a big flight and down into the compression. It is
:08:07. > :08:11.important to stay high here as you setup the Carousel left-hander. It
:08:12. > :08:20.is really I see. There is a lot of terrain. It is bumpy. You have got
:08:21. > :08:25.to stay high here and get the direction right. You do not want to
:08:26. > :08:35.run out into the net. Out onto the flat section and time to contemplate
:08:36. > :08:39.how you skied at the top. We will pick up speed again. That was a
:08:40. > :08:45.bumpy landing. You have to push your hands forward. I am just going to
:08:46. > :09:00.jump away a little bit here and clear over that role. The course is
:09:01. > :09:11.really nice and hard. My legs are burning. Normally at Kitzbuhel you
:09:12. > :09:16.start to think about the lower section -- section and you are set
:09:17. > :09:20.at high for this turn and you dive down but you cannot go that way this
:09:21. > :09:26.year. There is not enough snow on the lower part of the course. We are
:09:27. > :09:34.taking a deep tour. There is a really tricky turn here. You have
:09:35. > :09:44.got to press hard on that ski. Now you can see the crowd motoring
:09:45. > :09:48.towards the final jumper. We are approaching the final jump. Good
:09:49. > :09:56.flight. Tucking in tight. And across the line.
:09:57. > :10:03.It is a real shame we could not go over the bottom bit this year. The
:10:04. > :10:08.organisers tried their hardest but the snow would not firm up. The top
:10:09. > :10:15.section is as tough as ever and the crowd are looking forward to a tough
:10:16. > :10:19.race. That never gets any less impressive. Congratulations. The
:10:20. > :10:23.list of previous winners here in Kitzbuhel is like a who's who of
:10:24. > :10:26.Alpine racing royalty. Some of the biggest names in the sport have
:10:27. > :10:29.cemented their legendary status with victory here on the Hahnenkamm, but
:10:30. > :10:31.who today will join the illustrious list and put there name into the
:10:32. > :11:10.history books? It is now time to find out who is
:11:11. > :11:13.going to join them. This is the downhill and Max Chilton has the
:11:14. > :11:20.commentary. At last the snow has arrived to
:11:21. > :11:25.blank and -- cover the Hahnenkamm in white. The noise is rising in
:11:26. > :11:33.anticipation of the 84th running of this incredible downhill racer. It
:11:34. > :11:46.opens for 2014 with David Poisson. A nice flight. Solid jump. He does
:11:47. > :11:56.not have the best visibility. He is attacking the top part. He is
:11:57. > :12:02.through the Carousel. He has to get the entry and exit of this turn just
:12:03. > :12:03.right. He is nice and high. He keeps clear of the advertising hoardings
:12:04. > :12:16.and heads off into the forest. We can follow him on this flat
:12:17. > :12:20.section from the helicopter camera. David Poisson likes racing in
:12:21. > :12:28.Austria and he took bronze medal in downhill at the Alpine ski world
:12:29. > :12:36.last February. There is a diversion in place here as they head down and
:12:37. > :12:42.they would normally bear right and take on a canter. This year they are
:12:43. > :12:48.heading towards the slalom course for a brief visit before coming back
:12:49. > :12:50.onto the traditional Finnish of the Hahnenkamm. It does not make it any
:12:51. > :13:02.less tough. It will get more narrow and more
:13:03. > :13:07.tough from here on in. There is plenty of soft snow around. It will
:13:08. > :13:18.not be the fastest Hahnenkamm race ever run. It is very narrow here.
:13:19. > :13:26.The crowd can now start to see the races arrived. Look at them all.
:13:27. > :13:32.Tens of thousands at the foot of the course in Kitzbuhel. David Poisson
:13:33. > :13:38.is skiing well today. He is off the final jump and David Poisson sets
:13:39. > :13:44.the target time. A good run from the Frenchman. David Poisson likes this
:13:45. > :13:50.course and he skied well here last year. It was a bit of a mistake at
:13:51. > :13:55.one point but he looked to have a solid run. I am not sure if number
:13:56. > :14:05.one was the best start number with the new snow that fell last night.
:14:06. > :14:13.Matthias Meyer is the number eight for Austria. He is trying to make
:14:14. > :14:21.his mark. A beautiful flight and a solid landing. Matthias Meyer is
:14:22. > :14:31.faster than David Poisson by one 100 th the second.
:14:32. > :14:42.That is clean and he is off into the forest. Here's 0.61 in front.
:14:43. > :14:54.He is eight tenths in front. He still has half a second in hand. The
:14:55. > :14:59.narrowest part of the course is approaching. He put in turn their
:15:00. > :15:04.anti-drifts from skiers right to skiers left. Now the final run into
:15:05. > :15:12.home at Kitzbuhel and he has a second in hand. Matthias Meyer hits
:15:13. > :15:16.the final jump and Austrian flags are flying. Can he be David Poisson?
:15:17. > :15:23.Yet seek an! A new leader in Kitzbuhel. A massive cheer here in
:15:24. > :15:28.the finish area. The Austrians are really fired up today. Not only is
:15:29. > :15:32.this their home race but it is also Olympic qualification on the
:15:33. > :15:37.potential ticket to go to the Olympics. Matthias Meyer nailed the
:15:38. > :15:38.top section of that course and had the gliding skills in the mid-part
:15:39. > :15:51.to carry it to the finish. Away he goes. A robust, aggressive
:15:52. > :15:56.start for Miller. Full attack from the maverick
:15:57. > :16:02.American. That is a good jump on the Mausefalle. He's going after this
:16:03. > :16:09.one. He's never won the downhill here. Can he crack it in 2014? It
:16:10. > :16:14.might be his final season. He showed signs of return last weekend. He
:16:15. > :16:19.desperately wants to crack Kitzbuhel.
:16:20. > :16:27.How close is he? Oh, Miller is going well. Up by 600ths of a second. Oh,
:16:28. > :16:35.he got twisted there. A good recovery! Great reflexes from Bode.
:16:36. > :16:40.Experience counts a great deal. We may find the veterans do well today
:16:41. > :16:44.because they have skied it more often than the youngsters over the
:16:45. > :16:49.years. The bottom part of the course is unfamiliar, with this new
:16:50. > :16:54.diversion set up. Miller has one training run under
:16:55. > :17:00.his belt earlier in the week. He was the quickest man on the mountain -
:17:01. > :17:05.eight tenths of a second faster on race day. Miller eating up the
:17:06. > :17:11.ground here. They desperately want Austrian win
:17:12. > :17:22.here. They would settle for a Miller victory. They might just get it!
:17:23. > :17:24.He's flying flying. He leads the way by a massive margin, nearly a full
:17:25. > :17:34.second in front. Could that be the moment that he
:17:35. > :17:44.climbs on top of the podium of the World Cup downhill in Kitzbuhel? He
:17:45. > :17:48.nailed carved through that right-hand turn. The speed was
:17:49. > :17:50.incredible. Then it just built all the way down. A very impressive
:17:51. > :18:08.lead. Beat Feuz - tenth fast weekend. The
:18:09. > :18:14.Swiss have done well here in the past. They like to come and conquer
:18:15. > :18:17.Kitzbuhel under the noses of the Austrians.
:18:18. > :18:42.Into the Steilhang. Now... Oh, he's in trouble here.
:18:43. > :18:49.He hits the safety netting. The crash was pure driver error, coming
:18:50. > :18:55.into that left-hander above the Hausberg. Did not stand hard enough.
:18:56. > :19:00.A similar crash to last weekend. Into the net hard. Quite a nasty
:19:01. > :19:06.crash. Dominik Paris won here last year. Although he started strong
:19:07. > :19:12.with a victory in Lake Louise, his victories since have not been much
:19:13. > :19:14.to write home about. Can he find form in Kitzbuhel - just in time for
:19:15. > :19:25.the Olympics? Paris is away. Number 16 for Italy.
:19:26. > :19:31.12 months ago, he came and conquered Kitzbuhel. He's winding down the
:19:32. > :19:37.windows on the Mausefalle. Wasn't a clean jump at the top from Paris.
:19:38. > :19:41.Paying the price. 1600ths of a second behind. Visibility tricky in
:19:42. > :19:48.this part. He's a bit late on the turns. Doesn't look relaxed at all.
:19:49. > :19:53.Stiff in his upper body. Close, dangerously close to the red
:19:54. > :20:00.banner ins - off into the -- banners. Off into the woods now.
:20:01. > :20:05.We can follow him from high above. Sticking to the central part of that
:20:06. > :20:09.blue racing corridor. They can drift out of that. If the skiers go on to
:20:10. > :20:16.the blue, it tends to slow them down. He needs to avoid the edges of
:20:17. > :20:21.that racing line. The fastest time so far Bode Miller.
:20:22. > :20:27.Paris is a long way back. Nearly two seconds slower than Bode Miller.
:20:28. > :20:37.A year ago of Dominik Paris was full of confidence, attacked this course
:20:38. > :20:43.- looked really relaxed, but this has not gone according to plan at
:20:44. > :20:47.all. He's clawed back three tenths. The damage, I am afraid to say, has
:20:48. > :20:52.already been done. Bode Miller will not be sweating now as he watching
:20:53. > :20:59.Paris come through the final stages on the newly designed course - for
:21:00. > :21:03.this year alone, we hope. Snow permitting it will be back to the
:21:04. > :21:10.traditional Kitzbuhel course in 2015.
:21:11. > :21:21.Paris is pedestrian compared to the American. More than two seconds
:21:22. > :21:25.adrift. 117. Pretty good speed. No threat to Bode Miller. Dominik Paris
:21:26. > :21:34.is off the pace. Down in tenth position.
:21:35. > :21:40.Aksel Lund Svindal has been consistent. He's had two wins this
:21:41. > :21:47.year and would like to add it to the list of his conquered courses.
:21:48. > :21:55.Svindal is ready to race. Went quick in training. Not as fast as Bode
:21:56. > :21:58.Miller, but not far off the American. The leader in the world
:21:59. > :22:07.Cup in downhill standings. Two tenths of a second slower than
:22:08. > :22:27.Bode Miller. Svindal pushing really hard as he
:22:28. > :22:36.approaches the Steilhang. Not such a great jump as he came on the
:22:37. > :22:41.Seidlalmsprung. He is carrying excellent speed.
:22:42. > :22:46.Now, can Svindal claw back some time on the bottom part of this course?
:22:47. > :22:51.The narrow section to come. A brave line in and out of there. He
:22:52. > :22:55.could do some damage. That is what has happened. Svindal, within
:22:56. > :22:59.quarter of a second - a great recovery n the middle third of this
:23:00. > :23:03.course for the Norwegian. Downhill champion of the world - won that
:23:04. > :23:10.title last February. Heads to Sochi as one of the
:23:11. > :23:17.favourites for downhill gold - maybe Super-G and Giant slalom as well.
:23:18. > :23:29.Takes it as close as he dare to the safety netting on. This will be
:23:30. > :23:34.tight! Svindal has skied superbly. 124.4. He's going like a train.
:23:35. > :23:43.Svindal for the lead in Kitzbuhel. He takes it a away from Bode Miller.
:23:44. > :23:48.He's going to look at that run from Aksel Lund Svindal and think, did he
:23:49. > :23:52.really deserve to beat me today? Svindal was not good on the top part
:23:53. > :23:56.of this course, but used his weight advantage on the lower section of
:23:57. > :24:02.the course just to gain time on Miller. Perhaps Miller will be
:24:03. > :24:08.thinking, maybe I shouldn't have shared those -- shredded those ten
:24:09. > :24:14.kilos after all! Next Adrien Theaux, from France.
:24:15. > :24:40.Theaux on the attack for France. To the Steilhang.
:24:41. > :24:47.Theaux is faster by nearly half a second. This is very promising.
:24:48. > :24:52.Adrien Theaux holds a high line, keeps his tuck, drifts into the red.
:24:53. > :25:00.Just over a quarter of a second off the pace of the new lead leader.
:25:01. > :25:06.Theaux takes it to the edge on the new section of the course. A few
:25:07. > :25:09.French supporters here today: They have been delighted to see Adrien
:25:10. > :25:15.Theaux come through and get in amongst the top five here. The speed
:25:16. > :25:21.is fast. Off the final jump. Sets up up his skis for the finishing line.
:25:22. > :25:29.Theaux is third. Excellent run from the Frenchman.
:25:30. > :25:38.Christof Innerhofer from Italy. Number 20.
:25:39. > :25:48.Full attack from Innerhofer. He is risking everything on top of it
:25:49. > :25:51.here. Leaving it all on the mountainside
:25:52. > :26:05.this morning. Steilhang, Innerhofer - clean on the
:26:06. > :26:14.exit and into the forest with a half a second lead. Fabulous top section.
:26:15. > :26:20.Off the side of the Seidlalmsprung. Christof Innerhofer, for Italy, has
:26:21. > :26:29.had a really risky run. Will it pay off for the likeable Italian? Still
:26:30. > :26:40.within touching distance of the Norwegian's lead.
:26:41. > :26:44.Now, into the final stages of this gruelling race. He's got some
:26:45. > :26:49.sunshine to show the way. Innerhofer has excellent visibility - better
:26:50. > :26:57.than any who have gone before. That's a gutsy line.
:26:58. > :27:04.He's clawed back a little bit of time over Svindal. Now he's lost
:27:05. > :27:10.another 400. This will be tight. Oh, he got his body twisted there. What
:27:11. > :27:15.a clean approach to the final jump, but he's finished safety. Finished
:27:16. > :27:21.fourth. Good shape - Innerhofer, in the top five.
:27:22. > :27:30.Christof Innerhofer very, very good. Carried great speed out of the exit
:27:31. > :27:34.Steilhang. He is big, he is powerful, but he's not as big and
:27:35. > :27:50.powerful as the huge Norwegian. Keung countrying for Switzerland.
:27:51. > :28:01.Looking - for speed. Approaches the mouse troop. OK, that is a high
:28:02. > :28:03.line. line.
:28:04. > :28:06.Mouse troop. OK, that is a high line.
:28:07. > :28:10.He Don't want it to effect your posture.
:28:11. > :28:17.Towards the Steilhang. Dangerously close. See Bode Miller ride those
:28:18. > :28:21.red banners in the past, as Keung heads off into the forest. The
:28:22. > :28:26.winner in Wengen last weekend, looking for the double.
:28:27. > :28:34.It was done by his come pattry yacht in 2009. He was the last man to do
:28:35. > :28:49.the clean sweep. It's not happening today for Patrick
:28:50. > :28:55.Kueng. 0.83 is too much to ask. He's the third ranked downhill racer
:28:56. > :29:07.of the season. Austria's last real chance of
:29:08. > :29:20.success here today. Off the final jump and he's flapping like a bird.
:29:21. > :29:24.Patrick Kueng - ninth, disappointing after the last weekend. He was too
:29:25. > :29:27.low. You have to be high and up by that gate. If you are low down, you
:29:28. > :29:32.end up very, very close to the net and you kill all your speed off with
:29:33. > :29:37.a gliding section. The other thing, if I have to be picky, he doesn't
:29:38. > :29:39.have the best of tuck. That is what cost him time in the mid-part of the
:29:40. > :29:48.course. Hannes Reichelt has had three second
:29:49. > :29:51.places in downhill. Will the fans here inspire him to make the jump to
:29:52. > :30:04.top spot on the podium? Hannes Reichelt has his brace face
:30:05. > :30:08.on. He is out of the gate and attacking the top part of the
:30:09. > :30:18.Hahnenkamm. No sunshine to show the way. Come out of that gays nice and
:30:19. > :30:23.high and he did not flatten it. Sensible skiing so far. He has got
:30:24. > :30:33.the reward, one tenth of a second in front. There is a massive roar from
:30:34. > :30:40.the capacity crowd at the foot of the Streif. We can follow him from
:30:41. > :30:48.the helicopter camera here. He is still in front. Nothing wrong with
:30:49. > :30:56.this run. Reichelt is clearly determined to put one down for the
:30:57. > :31:07.host nation. Austria have not had a win in the Kitzbuhel downhill since
:31:08. > :31:14.2006. Hermann Meyer won in 2001 and the great Franz Klammer had four
:31:15. > :31:19.wins in Kitzbuhel, the most recent coming in 1984. Can Reichelt become
:31:20. > :31:25.the toast of Austria in Kitzbuhel today? It is green all the way for
:31:26. > :31:33.Hannes Reichelt, putting the pressure on Aksel Lund Svindal
:31:34. > :31:40.Arles. He is still in there, 0.36. Reichelt is skiing a dream run
:31:41. > :31:47.today. He is flying. He skis for the win in Kitzbuhel. He has got it! Two
:31:48. > :31:58.tenths of a second. Reichelt is the fastest man on the Hahnenkamm. The
:31:59. > :32:02.Austrian fans at the finish going absolutely crazy. Players are going
:32:03. > :32:07.off in the crowd. Hannes Reichelt is climbing onto the top of the
:32:08. > :32:12.podium. He skied the top section pretty well. It was better than
:32:13. > :32:16.Aksel Lund Svindal and he was able to carry that speed all the way to
:32:17. > :32:22.the finish. It looks like it could be an Austrian victory on home snow
:32:23. > :32:27.here at Kitzbuhel. Indeed it is, Hannes Reichelt is the hero of the
:32:28. > :32:38.Hahnenkamm for 2014. What happened on the lower part of
:32:39. > :32:42.the course? It was really one turn. I had really good speed through
:32:43. > :32:48.there and I skied right through the Alte Schneise and there was one turn
:32:49. > :32:55.and it is not hard part of the courts but I did not see a good bit
:32:56. > :32:59.of that rain and in downhill that is the worst mistake you can make.
:33:00. > :33:05.Today is one of the hardest results I have had to take in my career.
:33:06. > :33:13.Being picky, you did not skied atop very well. I did not. For sure I
:33:14. > :33:20.lost the race there are two. That is the section where I should be able
:33:21. > :33:23.to gain time. Getting the top place in Kitzbuhel is for an Austrian
:33:24. > :33:30.racer one of the most beautiful things in his career. I cannot
:33:31. > :33:36.believe it at the moment, maybe I need a few hours to recognise it. A
:33:37. > :33:42.brilliant race but the top three here were truly exceptional on the
:33:43. > :33:46.day. The two big favourites, there are big guns misfired and the
:33:47. > :33:55.bridesmaid, Hannes Reichelt, snuck in and stole the bouquet. Was it an
:33:56. > :34:00.issue of weight for Miller? No, he made a mistake. And Aksel Lund
:34:01. > :34:05.Svindal L just skied badly at the top. He did not look right at all.
:34:06. > :34:09.The Austrians are going absolutely crazy. It is a great win for the
:34:10. > :34:12.Austrians and the party will continue well into the night and
:34:13. > :34:17.they will still be on the streets partying at 2am. That is something
:34:18. > :34:22.to look forward to maybe! Now for the news.
:34:23. > :34:28.Great Britain has announced arguably strongest ever team for an Olympic
:34:29. > :34:32.Games. There are realistic medal prospects in freestyle skiing and
:34:33. > :34:36.snowboarding with Billie Morgan and Amy Fuller in great form. The team
:34:37. > :34:39.also looks more strong in the additional disciplines of curling,
:34:40. > :34:44.short track speed skating and skeleton. It is not all good news
:34:45. > :34:50.though. A ski cross racer has been denied a place on the team by the
:34:51. > :34:55.PLA despite being offered a place after narrowly missing out on
:34:56. > :34:58.automatic qualification. An online petition has been launched to
:34:59. > :35:03.challenge the decision. Two athletes that will definitely be on the plane
:35:04. > :35:07.are Lizzy Yarnold and Shelley Rudman. Lizzy Yarnold got her third
:35:08. > :35:12.gold of the season in Austria last week. Both seem to be peaking at
:35:13. > :35:16.just the right time. You can see highlights of their final event
:35:17. > :35:22.before the Olympics by pressing your red button at 6:30pm.
:35:23. > :35:25.Skeleton is a sport that might look straightforward, but I can tell you
:35:26. > :35:40.from first hand experience it's not for the faint hearted! I cannot
:35:41. > :35:44.believe the noises that were coming out of your mouth there. It is also
:35:45. > :35:46.a sport that the British are pretty good at so how do you become a world
:35:47. > :35:49.beater? We sent Olympic skeleton gold
:35:50. > :36:00.medallist Amy Williams back to the ice to explain the finer points of
:36:01. > :36:05.this exhilarating sport. This is a sport that requires
:36:06. > :36:09.complete focus, state-of-the-art equipment and a potent mixture of
:36:10. > :36:14.self belief and bravery to reach the top. Not only that but you need
:36:15. > :36:19.power, poise and absolute precision to breach the bottom. It is one of
:36:20. > :36:23.the most visually spectacular sports in the winter Olympics, adrenaline
:36:24. > :36:35.fuelled and human powered. This is skeleton.
:36:36. > :36:41.But before you have even stepped on the ice there has been a huge amount
:36:42. > :36:45.of time and money invested in the equipment. Good aerodynamics can be
:36:46. > :36:51.the difference between success and failure. For us it is everything,
:36:52. > :36:55.the airflow and your body shape can be crucial. Our sport is similar to
:36:56. > :36:59.Formula one. You keep testing and to test in wind tunnels and you test
:37:00. > :37:03.the equipment so it is perfect for the race day. There are a lot of
:37:04. > :37:07.energy losses, aerodynamics and friction between the runners and the
:37:08. > :37:10.ice which can take away from your performance. We always try to make
:37:11. > :37:15.the energy losses as small as possible.
:37:16. > :37:19.First you have got the suit that is all high-tech material, creating the
:37:20. > :37:22.least amount of drag. Then you have running spikes which are brass
:37:23. > :37:26.spikes on the bottom which enable you to get the most amount of grip
:37:27. > :37:33.on the ice as you sprint. There is a helmet with a visor and skinned --
:37:34. > :37:37.chin guard to protect your head with the high GeForce corners. There are
:37:38. > :37:43.gloves to protect your hands and the most important thing is the sled.
:37:44. > :37:50.Developed in high-tech workshops the design is a closely guarded secret
:37:51. > :37:56.that can give you a age. This led to our bespoke to each athlete. You
:37:57. > :37:59.have two runners and the bottom part there are knives. As you dig in you
:38:00. > :38:04.can turn the sled from side to side almost like rudder. Some riders have
:38:05. > :38:10.sharp knives and others have them less sharp and it is your preference
:38:11. > :38:13.and how you like to work. You have to work and interact with the sled
:38:14. > :38:18.to get it moving in the direction you want it to. Before we race on
:38:19. > :38:21.the track we always walk the track which is vitally important because
:38:22. > :38:24.you look at the ice and you look at the conditions and the corners and
:38:25. > :38:28.July down on the track and almost getting to the same position you
:38:29. > :38:34.would in the skeleton and you study it and make notes which are key to
:38:35. > :38:38.your performance. The mental preparation is so important. To
:38:39. > :38:42.hurtle down the track at such high speeds takes some real bravery. You
:38:43. > :38:46.have to be a certain personality type to begin with. You have to have
:38:47. > :38:52.nerves of steel because once you go there is no stopping you. You always
:38:53. > :38:56.feel nervous before you train or compete because it can be quite
:38:57. > :38:59.dangerous but it is the thrill and the adrenaline that I really love
:39:00. > :39:02.and when you get up to the top you think you could do a corner better
:39:03. > :39:10.or have better aerodynamics and therefore be faster. All the hours
:39:11. > :39:14.in the gym come down to this, the start. You have to be completely
:39:15. > :39:19.focused. The sled down in a groove and it is all about being as
:39:20. > :39:27.explosive and powerful as you can for that sprint.
:39:28. > :39:32.As soon as I am in position than I am completely relaxed and I breathe
:39:33. > :39:38.out and let my body mould to the sled. Once you go past the first
:39:39. > :39:42.curve then you are on a roll and you feel the track and you start to
:39:43. > :39:48.instinctively stearic and your fears almost go away. Your peripheral
:39:49. > :39:52.vision takes over and you're feeling and your interaction between you and
:39:53. > :39:56.the ice is all of your senses working at 1 million miles an hour.
:39:57. > :40:01.Approaching a corner like this can be up to 90 miles an hour and to the
:40:02. > :40:06.untrained eye it seems we are being taken for a ride by our sled but the
:40:07. > :40:10.athlete is doing maybe four or five different steers in every single
:40:11. > :40:15.corner. As we travel at speed on the curves we are being pushed into the
:40:16. > :40:19.wall at five G in the same way that fight pilots are pushed. It is very
:40:20. > :40:24.hard when you go through the curve to hold the head off the ice and
:40:25. > :40:28.keep your body in a position that is aerodynamic. Travelling down a track
:40:29. > :40:30.with your head inches from the ice you are currently analysing the
:40:31. > :40:35.conditions and making minor adjustments. You analyse any markers
:40:36. > :40:38.and you use your head and your shoulders and your feet to steer.
:40:39. > :40:42.There is one thing you cannot control which is the weather. The
:40:43. > :41:05.track conditions are constantly changing and snow or rain could
:41:06. > :41:08.destroy your whole race. All of the skeleton athletes just wish and hope
:41:09. > :41:11.for a nice clear day because then it is a level playing field. If it
:41:12. > :41:14.rains or snows it can change the ice surface and that can have a big
:41:15. > :41:16.impact and make or break a race. Once you reach the finish line you
:41:17. > :41:18.hope the mental, physical and technical elements have all come
:41:19. > :41:21.together to achieve success. It might look easy but there is a lot
:41:22. > :41:23.more science behind the sport of skeleton than you might think.
:41:24. > :41:27.Skeleton is the finest margins. There is a lot more than sliding
:41:28. > :41:30.down a snow tube on a tea tray. Great skill needed.
:41:31. > :41:34.Luckily we have some of the finest sliders in the world who have been
:41:35. > :41:37.funded in part thanks to the success of Amy Williams in Vancouver, and
:41:38. > :41:40.Lizzie Yarnold and Shelley Rudman have a great chance of success in
:41:41. > :41:43.Russia so exciting times. Someone else who will be looking to
:41:44. > :41:46.do Great Britain proud is Jenny Jones. With slopestyle making it's
:41:47. > :41:47.highly anticipated debut in Sochi, our most successful snowboarder ever
:41:48. > :42:10.is certainly one to watch. Jenny Jones, British snowboarding
:42:11. > :42:12.slopestyle. It was always about the X games for me which is the
:42:13. > :42:19.equivalent of a World Championships which we did not have. To go there
:42:20. > :42:25.and compete and actually come away with a gold was absolutely amazing
:42:26. > :42:28.and I will never forget it. Everyone likes to be creative in slopestyle
:42:29. > :42:36.and it means you can show your personality a bit. I think my
:42:37. > :42:42.favourite move is a backside 180 tail grab but I do not actually do
:42:43. > :42:48.it in competition. To have this opportunity is definitely like an
:42:49. > :42:55.extra bonus, to represent my country at the Olympics. It is amazing.
:42:56. > :42:56.Jenny really has been a leading light for our slopestyle athletes,
:42:57. > :43:09.and show. To find out more check out the
:43:10. > :43:18.BBC Get Inspired website and see how you can get involved.
:43:19. > :43:18.Straight after the show be sure to catch the highlights of the men's
:43:19. > :43:21.slalom from right here in Kitzbuhel. That's available on the Red Button,
:43:22. > :43:26.online and on connected TV. You That's available on the Red Button,
:43:27. > :43:29.also catch the full race on the BBC iPlayer.
:43:30. > :43:31.There's more for you technical skiing fans as this Tuesday 28th
:43:32. > :43:34.January sees the spectacular Schladming Night Slalom
:43:35. > :43:36.January sees the spectacular Available across all BBC platforms.
:43:37. > :43:39.And then we're back next week under those Schladming floodlights for
:43:40. > :43:42.highlights and analysis of that high octane Night Slalom. Marcel
:43:43. > :43:46.Herscher, Mario Matt, Ted Ligety and the best of the rest
:43:47. > :43:47.Herscher, Mario Matt, Ted Ligety and in the cauldron of noise. It's a
:43:48. > :43:51.spectacle like no other. We'll also have a feature with
:43:52. > :43:54.Olympic halfpipe gold medallist Torah Bright as the Australian goes
:43:55. > :43:58.for an unprecedented three snowboard medals at the Sochi Games.
:43:59. > :43:59.for an unprecedented three snowboard It's a show not to be missed. We'll
:44:00. > :44:12.see you then.