03/02/2013 Ski Sunday

Hello and welcome to Ski Sunday from Red Square. That's right, we

are in Russia just one year before the Winter Olympics from Sochi and

we have a spectacular show of parallel slalom night racing.

Skiers go head-to-head in a head- to-head format. His minus 22 so

don't laugh at our hats! They are necessary and this was the last one

in the shop. There are no mountain ranges here. Instead we have a

massive man made ski-slope. This is no normal programme. This is Moscow

Later on in the show we will be in St Moritz, where Amy Williams will

be giving us tips on how to get down to the bob track. Now we are

in Moscow for the first parallel slalom on Ski Sunday. What is it

all about? The crowd, the atmosphere. Head-to-head racing, so

much more exciting. You can see who crosses the line first, even if it

is only a few hundredths of a second. They have this massive

scaffolding and they have piled snow on top of it and frozen it.

How does the format work? It is over two runs. If you lose the

first one, you take in that disadvantage, that time deficit

into the second. You start it will open a fraction of a second later.

-- your start gate. That will show you how far you are behind and help

you catch up that deficit. We have men and women here tonight. Who

will do well from the women? Tina Maze, I think. Lindsey Vonn has

decided not to come. Tina Maze is leading the World Wide standings

and she is probably favourite tonight but she was beaten in

Munich in the night slalom by Veronika Zuzulova. That will be an

interesting battle. And on the men's side? There are two clear

favourites. Felix Neureuther won In the first round there were some

very tight races. In the women's competition, Tina Maze looked

incredibly strong. In the lower half of the draw, Michaela

Kirchgasser was looking quick. She will meet Mikaela Shiffrin in the

next round. For some it was too much to handle. Brittany Phelan

crashed out but brought some freestyle to Moscow. In the men's

competition, Marcel Hirscher had a huge shock. He was leading her

Norwegian but he barged the gate in the second run. Surely even Marcel

Hirscher cannot overturn that deficit! This will be one of the

biggest wins of the night so far. But the Norwegian is making a mess

of it. Marcel Hirscher has won! That was a great fightback. He then

has to take on Jens Byggmark, who is looking strong. It will be an

interesting battle. Felix Neureuther third cruise through his

foot. 16 of the best have been cut down to eight. This will be fast

and frenetic with Matt Chilton on against the best of the Swiss,

Wendy Holden. She is up against the best in the world, Tina Maze. She

is on an incredible winning streak this season. First round of the

quarter-finals. They raised once and then they swap for the second

breathtaking race against Tina Maze. 0.83 in front. A great start. Tanja

Poutiainen against Veronika green and then it is go. -- three

Lena Duerr from Germany. Lena Duerr got caught up in the start gate,

getting ahead of the timing mechanism, and she paid the price.

This is very tight. I think freedom and -- Frida Hansdotter has just

Shiffrin. Mikaela Shiffrin is fighting back. The American tends

to do well at this. The juniors, the Europeans, but it is the

Austrian striking for the front and she gets it by 51 hundredths of a

difference. Wendy Holden S Gates onto the course ahead of Tina Maze.

-- Wendy Holdener skates on to the course. She wins! A massive victory

for Wendy Holden. She has beaten finish from Tanja Poutiainen but

these terms. She has been skiing beautifully this season but this

format does not suit her. Super from Lena Duerr, into the semi-

Shiffrin quickly out of the gate and closing down that lead.

Michaela Kirchgasser fighting back but she is out and Mikaela Shiffrin

advances. Mikaela Shiffrin takes a the quarter-finals. What on earth

was Tina Maze doing? She looked like she had fallen asleep. Maybe

because she cruised through the first round she thought it would be

easy in the second but she was wrong. Do you think she

underestimated her opponent? really did. Veronika Zuzulova is

looking very strong. She has got an on. A straightforward run to the

line. He will take forward the maximum penalty time of 0.5 into

the second round. Quarter-final that time. He is gaining on David

Myhrer was 4th in Munich and Fritz Myhrer but we know how fast Fritz

Dopfer is in the middle of the course. Here he goes again. The

Germans finding excellent speed. They come of the programs

simultaneously. Fritz Dopfer Baptiste Grange. Felix Neureuther

will have to play catch-up. Neck- and-neck as they hit the job. Very

tight. Down to the wire. Only just in front, Jean-Baptiste Grange and

Felix Neureuther can claw that back the gap. He must be hoping for a

mistake from Marcel Hirscher. He has already made one but he rarely

makes two. Marcel Hirscher cruising to victory and has time to look

across at look at Jens Byggmark. night already. He beat Manfred

Moelgg after a fight back in are the last 16. Hoping for similar

on the gate. David Chodounsky is right in there! Oh, he has missed

it by one hundredth of a second! Ivica Kostelic is through by the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

Grange and Aksel Lund Svindal -- good start. Be German March and

early it in front. Grange has made a quarter of a second.

comparison to the women's quarter- finals, the men's went much more to

form. After Hirscher had that shock in the first-round, he was very

strong. And Ivica Kostelic looking -- Felix Neureuther looking very

smooth. I think he will go through. The one thing we can see from the

quarter-finals is the semi-finals will be even tighter? I think so.

Now ready for the first women's semi final, Wendy Holdener of

Switzerland goes against Veronika Velez Zuzulova of Slovakia. She got

jammed up and went a bit early but it does not seem to have affected

her start. Division was blurred for Veronika Velez Zuzulova as she

picked up an extra item of head gear halfway down. Turn for turn,

her trials and tribulations on the Leonid you're in the second semi-

gear. This is great skiing. Mikaela Shiffrin takes it by six hundredths

of a second. The first run to the Velez Zuzulova in their second run.

The Slovakian indirect cause has Velez Zuzulova. She qualifies for

the final by 14 hundredths of a second. She will ski either against

Li Na de were all Mikaela Shiffrin the start with a good fast entrance

onto the course for the American. She has stretched her lead already.

A brilliant start for Mikaela Shiffrin. It is tight between them.

one of if favourites to make it into the final. She had a scare on

the first run where she had to ski through the flag but then she came

through. I thought Mikaela Shiffrin was a bit inexperienced. She had a

wide turn and did not carry the speed. I have got to say that

Veronika Velez Zuzulova is the Kostelic will be in the Blue course,

Hirscher is going to win the first run by a quarter of the second. A

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

man who won in Munich was the Kostelic takes his opportunity

He did all the hard work. And Hirscher takes his place in the

final. The races are ready for the second run of semi-final number two.

There is Andre Myhrer and Felix a brilliant start from Felix

Neureuther. Brilliance being from the Swede. - a brilliant skiing

from the Swede. He is in the final. Not hiding any glee there. Hirscher

made a big mistake on the second run and let Ivica Kostelic back in.

Ivica Kostelic was leading. He went through a gate and the polls sprang

out of his hand. That caused him to lose momentum. He is what we talk

about with the women. Ivica Kostelic lost momentum at the

bottom. Hirscher was able to save some of the momentum from the top

and still get through. Yes, he was looking very fast indeed. Andre

Myhrer has learned to start a lot quicker than I have seen before. It

should be interesting but my money is still on Hirscher. All right, I

will take Andre Myhrer by default. Zuzulova has found her start.

Nothing between them. It is tight! One hundredth of a second after the

first run in favour of Lena Duerr. She fought her way back after a

stunning start from Veronika Velez Zuzulova. They are about to race

One hundredth of a second between them. Forget about that margin, it

is first-past-the-post it. It has been an explosive start from the

German, having the best World Cup event of her career. She is

kick-starting victory under floodlights here in the Russian

Coming here, did you know you had the form to win in this kind of

competition? No, I did not. I did not know how to start. It was the

first time I tried it. It was so fun. She has done it again! Coming

into the competition I would not have rated her at all. She remained

relaxed. We talked earlier about the fact that maybe Mikaela

Shiffrin had underestimated Lena Duerr. I think she is very tidy.

thinks there and maybe Felix Neureuther gave her some tips about

how to ski parallel slalom because the technique is different when you

have to duck your body around the gates of compared with normal

slalom when you let your body go through. A fantastic victory for

leader in the slalom standings. The men's final first run. Andre Myhrer

in blue. A great start from Andre Myhrer. He has a slight advantage

again. Next to nothing between the Andre Myhrer, we know has mastered

the technique at the bottom of the course with this incredibly direct

line. They are called to readiness start. On to the steep section here.

Nothing between them. Hirscher takes the win by 16 hundredths of a

second with a stunning finish. He has dominated the World Cup in all

the forms in which he has participated this season. Tonight

he has won the parallel slalom in Yes! In it means that much to be

right. There is so little to split between his races but Hirscher is

consistently winning. What is he doing? It is all about that terrain

changed. Just before the job when they come onto the flat, Hirscher

makes a solid, aggressive pole plant. It is an old-school

technique which you do not often see in racing anymore. It set up

his upper body so he is square going into that extra -- final run-

in said that is why he is carrying extra speed. Are you happy because

Hirscher won or because you predicted it? He is a great skier

to watch. I watched him race when he was 14 in a children's race and

he was exciting Ben and exciting now.

You survived an incredible run in the first-round. Talk us through

that? I was lucky that he made a big mistake. I took my chance.

did not make any mistakes after that. Used seemed pretty

concentrated right way through the night. It was shaking me and then,

come on, stay focused and Snowboarding does elicit the events

are so well and I did not think that skiing could live up to it. --

in a city events. But it has. Slalom is just as much fun to raise

as it is to watch and you can see that from the spectators. You can

also see who crosses the line first. Are we going to see more events

like this into the calendar? think so. It brings the events into

the city. It can't compare, can it? No, but when you have someone like

Marcel Hirscher here, there will always be some excitement. This

week in San Moritz we have the bobsleigh championship. But we had

our own race first, of a more Weaving through the tranquil forest

near St Moritz is an icon of winter sports. A one-of-a-kind track that

rears its head for only a few icy months of the year to deliver a

Unforgiving yet fascinating this track holds a place in sliding

history that is unrivalled by its So this is it? The famous Olympia

bobsleigh track in St Moritz. People have been sliding down on

bobsleighs here for over 100 years. This is the birthplace of bobsleigh.

The course was constructed in 1903 and every winter since they build

the track by hand from snow and ice cut out of the lake at the bottom

of the hill. It means it's the only self-refrigerating track in the

world and that makes it a very short season. But today is our day

and we have enlisted some help to get us through it. Olympic skeleton

gold medallist, Amy Williams. have been on this track in the

skeleton. Have you ever been in the bobsleigh? I have never been in a

bobsleigh but I have been down this track many times before. This is

the 2nd quickest track in the world. For me, the horseshoe corner, I

have crashed nearly every time I did skeleton. It is a unique corner.

I am scared, excited and nervous all at once. I did not expect that.

I thought you would be relaxed about this. No, I am scared. It is

new for me and I don't know what I am doing. One thing you need to

know, he has an excess of testosterone and he is insanely

competitive. He will try and beat you. So Graham has that? You've

been in a skeleton before, haven't you? Yes. I understand a little bit

of ice. And I know the track. are even. Great. The best man will

win. I want to do a recce first. The initial idea for the Olympia

bob run was conceived by the founding fathers of bobsleigh, the

British. Once famed for sliding around the streets of St Moritz,

the time came when through fundraising a bespoke track was

built above the town. The course took three weeks to build and was

officially opened on New Year's Day, 1904. From November until March

each year since, this unique track has witnessed and shaped the

development of bobsleigh into the exhilarating sport we know today.

Check out this old bobsleigh. at the steering wheel on that.

don't reckon we will have steering like that. It's like the early days

of Formula One. Yes, crazy. health and safety back then. Along

with the neighbouring Cresta Run, St Moritz took sliding to the next

level with its two custom built tracks. The Olympia track inherited

its name after hosting the 1928 and the 48 Winter Olympics, which

cemented its reputation as the premier sliding venue of its time.

And to this day, the Olympia bob run is still hosting prestigious

events. The 2013 World Championships were held here just

last week, proving this place still provides an uncompromising test of

skill and nerve for the modern-day slider. With the dangers of taking

to this track all too apparent, myself and Graham in particular

were keen to take a closer look and listen to Amy's advice before our

very own individual head to head race. It is a very unique track to

slide. Completely different than anything else. Great. Thanks! This

is awesome. In a positive way! crashed here a lot and it is unique.

And you are really nervous. Great! The horseshoe, I have crashed every

single time I have been on this track. Have you picked up injuries

here? I have smashed my whole helmet. Been completely dazed and

confused the whole way down. It frightens me, this corner. Would

you describe it as the crux of the rest of the course? If you get this

right you set yourself up for the rest? You have to nail this corner

completely and that is where the best people win. You get the speed

down, you get so much height and carry the speed with you and you

can fly the rest of the course. What kind of speed are you doing?

The bobsleigh can get over 140 kilometres per hour. You are

shifting it. It is really quick. So what do you reckon close-up? Scary?

It is huge. Look up there, there is a dent in the roof. And paint left

behind where someone has hit that. It is like driving a motorbike

Here we are at the finish. After what he said on the way down here,

I am going to be happy to be at this point. Let's aim just to get

here. I am in it to win. That's a surprise! After our course walk, it

was then time to head back up to the start for an extreme up-close-

and-personal look at what we would It is the same experience and the

same speed as a normal race. It will be like you have weight on

your shoulder. How many Gs are we looking at? At the horseshoe, 4G,

4.5G. Four times your body weight, four times your helmet. It is a

OK, here we go. It is actually My head was two or three inches

from the wall. I was amazed by that. It feels so different because in

skeleton the track is massive around you. You are this little pin

lying on the sled, whereas the bobsleigh around you takes up that

space. Crazy. Experiencing the track firsthand certainly made the

reality of our mono bob challenge hit home. With our solo runs fast

approaching, it was time for some words of wisdom from Swiss legend

Christian Reich. I have done more than 3000 runs here on this track.

Since 1985 I started my career. Yes, it is an old track. It is the

birthplace for bobsleigh. More than 100 years. It is a good history at

this track. Do you still get an adrenaline rush when you get in the

bob? You have a little bit of pressure. That is fine, it is good,

that is what I like. It makes you feel alive? Yes. You have won a

silver medal and we're complete amateurs. What do we need to do?

Concentrate but relax. You have a downhill skier, an Olympic gold

medallist skeleton slider, and a snowboarder. Who is going to win?

Skeleton for sure. With those last words of advice, it was time to

prepare for our solo runs. OK, our padding is to protect our shoulders

a bit if we are rattling around in the bobsleigh. Definitely not in

case we turn over? I don't think we will turn over but I am happy to

have this protection. It is pretty cool. Where is Graham? Oh, no!

we ready to go? You are taking this seriously. You couldn't help

yourself, could you? I need my daily fix of Lycra. Any excuse and

he will jump into the Lycra. It was time for the talking to stop and

with nervous energy building, we met course chief Roberto for our

final instructions. Don't steer in big movements. Just little

movements like this. Let the sled go down. He will find his way on

his own. OK? The sled knows the way? Reassuring. What kind of speed

will we reach? About 115, 120, depending on the ice conditions.

That is still quick. Let's go. luck. Here we go. Wish me luck.

Nice and loose. This is real. We That is awesome, awesome. You are

next. I am scared. I am scared, too. That was so much fun it was

ridiculous. Absolutely brilliant. Adrenaline is falling into me like

a flash flood. Tiny movements, I can't believe that I am doing

Last one. I've just seen two of the boys go down and now I am super

nervous. It is my turn next so I'm going to get ready. I told you the

Lycra was not going to work. You need a big, heavy coat. Here goes.

Can I beat an Olympic gold Beaten by over 1.5 seconds. To be

fair to Amy, they measure the total weight, the weight of the athlete

plus the weight of the bob. The bob weighs the same, so the fact we

have beaten her by over a second is down to the fact that we ate too

Well done, well done. It was way quicker than I thought it would be.

I started steering and I hit a few walls and I thought I would let the

sled go. You were slower than me on the top and then you picked up

speed as the run went on. Either you have a rocket sled or you drove

better than me. Having the opportunity to make the mono bob

run down this legendary course was both a real rush and a huge honour.

An experience like no other on a Taking on the Olympic run made us

realise why this has become one of the most famous snow sport

destinations in the world. And in our own small way, we made our own

piece of Ski Sunday bobsleigh I know that I beat an Olympic gold

medallist but to be honest it means more to beat you! Lots of things

affect the performance of a bobsleigh, the weight of the driver,

but also the bobsleigh. Aerodynamics and stuff. It is just

noise! And bad excuses! Now a much more important victory

to tell you about. On that same track, Shelley Rudman has won

Britain's first skeleton gold, a massive congratulations to her of

an Lizzy Yarnold who came 4th. After her Olympic silver in Turin

and Amy's gold medal in Vancouver, the British team are in great form

ahead of Sochi. It went really well yesterday and so I was more relaxed

coming into today but I did not expect to win. Things went well and

I am happy. That is it from a very Baltic night in Moscow so that

means it is time to head back to the mountains. Yes, we are heading

West, swapping vodka for schnapps, as we had to Austria for the Alpine

skiing World Championship, the biggest event outside the Olympic

Games. Erik Guay of Canada is the reigning champion in the men's

downhill and he will be fighting hard to retain that title. We will