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Camplin retires (July 18)
Two- time Olympic medalist Alisa Camplin has retired from aerial skiing after winning a surprise bronze medal earlier this year at the Turin Winter Olympics.
Camplin, 31, made an amazing comeback to win the bronze just weeks after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. She also won Australia’s first Winter Olympic skiing title in the Salt Lake Games in 2002.
The skiing star said she had spent a lot of time considering her future after Turin.
“It was a shock once the Olympics were over. It was like, 'Hell, what am I going to do now?” Camplin told the Daily Telegraph.
Camplin says she has achieved all she has set out to do in aerial skiing and the time has come for a different chapter in her life.
She has been dating American moguls skier Travis Mayer for two years.
“I’ve achieved so much and it is a risky sport that requires so much dedication and sacrifice."
Camplin has been congratulated in a statement made by Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates.
“On the occasion of your retirement I'd like once more to thank you for your outstanding contribution to the Olympic Movement in this country, both on and off the slopes,” he said.
"We are very proud of you and all you have achieved."
Jessica Craven
More at the AOC web (pictured) 

Skating added to Sydney festival (Feb 26)
From the AOC: In a major boost for two Winter Olympic sports, short track speed skating and figure skating are to be showcased as part of the Australian Olympic Committee’s (AOC) Olympic Youth Festival in Sydney in January 2007.
The Olympic Youth Festival is attracting world attention with Beijing 2008 host nation, China confirming it will be sending teams to compete in both events.
Japan has also said it will compete in both short track and figure skating and the AOC is confident that Korea, Great Britain, Canada, USA and New Zealand will also send teams.
“These countries are the superpowers in these sports and this will be an enormous boost to our young athletes competing against the ‘best of the best’,” said AOC President John Coates.
Coates, who is attending the Winter Olympics in Torino, said figure skating and short track have attracted strong crowd support and are among the most popular sports at the Games.

Japan’s first figure skating title (Feb 25)
From the Torino Olympics: An Olympic gold medal not only brings glory, it also brings sleepless nights as Japan's Shizuka Arakawa has discovered.
Arakawa saved Japan from its worst Winter Games showing in 30 years when she unexpectedly became the first athlete from her country to win a figure skating gold on Thursday.
With Arakawa also capturing Japan's only medal in Turin, she has found out that her time no longer belongs to herself.
"I now have a hectic schedule after winning the gold medal," the 24-year-old said meekly, wearing her gleaming prize around her neck. "I've been very busy. In the last 36 hours, I've only slept for six hours in total.
"Unfortunately I couldn't find time to meet my parents who were here to watch my performance.
"Hopefully I'll be able to share some time with them when I go back home to Japan."
Arakawa was supposed to make up the numbers in the women's competition behind twice world champion Irina Slutskaya and reigning U.S. national champion Sasha Cohen…
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Manusco wins first for America (Feb 24)
From the Torino Olympics: Julia Mancuso won the American women's first Alpine skiing medal of the Turin Games when she took gold in the giant slalom on Friday.
Mancuso, who has never won a World Cup race, held on to her first-leg lead to finish 0.67 seconds ahead of Tanja Poutiainen, who became Finland's first Olympic medallist in the sport.
Anna Ottosson took a surprise bronze, outclassing fellow Swede Anja Paerson, the Olympic slalom champion, who finished a disappointed sixth.
Mancuso had come to the Games expecting to play second fiddle to speed specialist Lindsey Kildow. But Kildow crashed in training for the downhill at the start of the Olympics and her results suffered.
With American men's favourites Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves also failing, though unheralded Ted Ligety took gold in the combined, the pressure was on the 21-year-old Mancuso to win a big race for the first time in her life.
"I didn't know when I woke up this morning that I would go to sleep as Olympic champion," a delighted Mancuso told ORF television.
The weather -- heavy snow and thick fog in parts -- had helped her, she said, as she was used to skiing in such conditions at home in California.
"I knew a lot of people were having problems but I just skied safe, I didn't take risks," said Mancuso, who was the world championship bronze medallist in giant slalom and super-G last year.
Janica Kostelic, who won the title in 2002, did not start. The Croatian has been ill throughout the Games though she won a record career fourth gold medal in last weekend's combined event.
Poutiainen was a double silver medallist at last year's world championships but has not been on the World Cup podium once this season.
"After all the bad luck I have had I wasn't expecting much from this season but this is a great way to have a good season," she said.
Ottosson, who has had a run of top-10 places this season but has not won a World Cup race in six years, was also delighted after finishing 1.14 seconds behind Mancuso in two minutes 10.33.
"I can't believe it," said the 29-year-old Swede who had been 13th after the first leg. "This is a huge surprise. I didn't expect it at all, especially after the first run when I was way behind."
Austria, who had won at least one medal in every other event, had a disappointing day, with Nicole Hosp their best finisher in fourth place, 1.47 behind.
Mancuso profile (pictured)

Camplin survives fall to take bronze (Feb 23)
From the Australian Olympic site: Alisa Camplin’s comeback from major knee surgery only four months ago ended with a bronze medal at the Torino Winter Olympic Games. Camplin finished 3rd in the freestyle aerial finals at Sauze d'Oulx after executing two outstanding jumps.
Team-mate Jacqui Cooper, who was the top qualifier, finished in 8th position.
Camplin was in disbelief and couldn't hold back the tears of joy.
"My goodness I cannot believe how good third feels. I never stopped believing and here I am," Camplin said.
Jumping in a pea-soup fog, Camplin drew on the support she has received to propel her to the podium in her final Olympic competition.
“I’ve had so much support from Australia,” she said.
“It’s been an amazing roller-coaster, real lows but real highs. I never thought I’d get an Olympic medal and to walk away with first and third is amazing. This is so much better than the first time around because I’ve gone through so much heartbreak. It feels like magic.” (Pic: AOC)
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From the Torino web: Shame about the fog. But what a show at the Aerials of Sauze. It was the women’s turn to let out the first shout. They did it, and gave an unforgettable evening to the thousands of enthusiasts watching. At the end of two exciting legs, the first spot was won by Swiss Evelyne Leu, 30 years in July, vice world champion and four victories in the World Cup. Leu – who performed an incredible second jump Back/Full-Full-Full achieving a total score of 202.55 – preceded the Chinese favourite Nina Li (197.39) and the Australian Alisa Camplin (191.39), gold four years at Salt Lake and miraculously recovered in time for the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games after having been involved in yet…
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What a show! The short track speed skating relays always offer sensational results and surprises right up until the last moment. It was like this also at Torino 2006. In the 3000m, the women gave life to an exciting and well-balanced final.
The gold went once again to Korea, the absolute dominator of these Olympic Winter Games. Canada in second place and the bronze to an excellent Italian team…
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Australian figure skater Joanne Carter suffered bitter disappointment when an early fall in a triple jump shook the rest of her performance. She finished 25th in the pre-final event.
Carter, 25, finished 8th in the 1998 Olympics and hoped to match or even better that result.
The three top contenders for tonight’s final are Irina Slutskaya (Russia), Saha Cohen (USA) and Shizuka Arakawa (Japan).
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Bitter-sweet aerials for Australia (Feb 22)
The Australian women’s aerials team has tasted both phenomenal success and bitter disappointment after Jacqui Cooper set a world record in the women’s aerials for the fastest qualifying time while Lydia Ierodiaconou was stretchered off the course after suffering a horrendous knee injury during the second qualifying rounds at the Winter Olympic Games at Torino, Italy.
The 24-year-old from Melbourne has re-torn the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee after she failed to complete a difficult series of turns on her second jump. She let out a horrifying scream as her knee gave way beneath her, and teammates Jacqui Cooper and Allisa Camplin looked away in horror.
Both women watched on in tears as the World No.2 in aerials was taken to hospital. Ierodiaconou originally had her knee reconstructed in June of last year and came back to win the world cup event last month. She was considered Australia’s best hope for a medal after Camplin had the same surgery in October.
Head Australian aerials coach Todd Ossian was particularly upset because Ierodiaconou had performed an outstanding first jump and was in third place before her ill-fated second attempt.
“She had the highest jumping score of her life in the first round (101.52) and it felt so good I thought there was going to be no problem and Lydia was going to land her second jump," Ossian said.
It was a bittersweet night for Jacqui Cooper, who suffered the same fate during a practice session before the Salt Lake Games four years ago.
The former World No.1 qualified first after scoring 213.56 points from her two jumps and will be joined by reigning gold medalist Alisa Camplin who qualified tenth in the 12-woman final. The fourth Australian competitor, Liz Gardner, did not make the final, qualifying 23rd.
While the final will be an exciting night for the women’s aerials team, Australia will look on with a mixture of anticipation and excitement, and a thought to might what have been for Lydia Ierodiaconou.
By Jessica Craven

German near-miss leads to win (Feb 22)
From the Torino Olympics: andra Kiriasis steered her Germany I sled to victory in the women's Olympic bobsleigh competition on Tuesday, tightening her country's stranglehold on the sport.
A silver medallist when women's bobsleigh made its Winter Games debut four years ago in Salt Lake City, the 31-year-old Kiriasis mastered the tricky Cesana track for a comfortable win.
Shauna Rohbock's United States I sled won the silver medal while the Italy I bob driven by Gerda Weissensteiner thrilled the home fans with the bronze.
Bobsleigh's superpower, Germany had won gold already in the two-man on Sunday courtesy of Andre Lange and could complete a hat trick of titles in the Feb. 24-25 four-man event, which Lange will start as favourite.
Kiriasis clocked the fastest time in three of the two-day event's four runs to clock a combined winning time of three minutes 49.98 seconds.
She survived a scare in her second run on Monday, running into track frost on the entrance to a curve, which left her too high at the bend.
"That was a shock," she said. "For one I thought it was all over."
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Pic: Kiriasis web site
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From the Oz Olympic site: Australia's history-making female bobsledders have ended their Torino 2006 campaign with an excellent fourth run and 14th place, although they were five seconds off the pace set by the winning German No.1 sled at Cesana Pariol.
Pilot Astrid Loch-Wilkinson and brakewoman Kylie Reed expressed the mixed emotions typical of many elite athletes, happy with their efforts and their results but thinking they could possibly have done a bit better.
"We came into this knowing that we would probably end up 15th and we ended up 14th. We were hoping for 12th, but ended up better than we expected, so we can't really complain about that," Reed said.
"I was a little disappointed in the pushing today. I pushed better yesterday, but overall I think we did really well today," the Perth-born, Melbourne-based 31-year-old added.
After clocking 58.53 and 58.85 seconds on their first two runs on Day 10, the pair put down runs of 59.00 and 58.73 seconds on a night which saw most sleds record slower times than they had the previous evening…
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Emily Hughes arrived in Turin without any illusions about her medal prospects.
She did, however, have the most famous cheering squad in town.
"Hughes Gotta Believe" proclaimed a giant blue and white banner from the third tier of the stands as the 17-year-old skated onto the ice for Tuesday's short programme.
Among the dozen people holding up the message, one face stood out -- that of Olympic champion and proud big sister Sarah Hughes.
"I know how she feels up in the stands and I guess she knows how I feel," Emily, bronze medallist at last month's U.S. nationals, told reporters. "She knows I'm ready, she knows I can do it. This is a tremendous step for me. The Olympics is a huge step. The only way now is up."
In 2002, then 13-year-old Emily was among 15,000 roaring fans at the Salt Lake Ice Centre cheering on Sarah, who caused one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history to capture the women's crown.
Fast forward four years and sisters have swapped roles.
When Emily unexpectedly made a late dash for Turin after fellow American Michelle Kwan had to pull out with a groin injury, her entire family were quick to pack their bags and book their own airline tickets to the northern Italy city.
As Emily skated on to the ice to make her own Winter Games debut, the extended Hughes clan cheered wildly.
Even a slight slip on her step sequence failed to silence the deafening roars and as Emily whirled out of her final spin, Sarah leapt to her feet to lead the standing ovation at the Palavela rink.
The performance earned Emily a personal best of 57.08 points and seventh place in the standings -- not bad for a girl who was not even supposed to be at the Olympics.
"It was a very good night. I was very nervous though. I'm very happy she skated well but it was very hard to watch," conceded Sarah…
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From the Australian Olympic web: Australia's Lydia Ierodiaconou has suffered a reoccurrence of a serious knee injury during the qualifying round of the aerials competition at the Winter Olympics in Torino.
In 3rd position after the first round of jumps Ierodiaconou grabbed for her left knee on landing the second jump and crashed heavily while sliding down the slope.
It appeared her injured knee gave way on impact…
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Kostelic sets new medal record (Feb 21)
Croatia's Janica Kostelic wrote another page of Olympic history on Monday by becoming the first female Alpine skier to win six medals.
Second place in the super-G took the overall World Cup leader's career tally to four golds and two silvers, one medal more than Switzerland's Vreni Schneider accumulated between 1988 and 1994 and Germany's Katja Seizinger from 1992 to 1998.
The pigtailed 24-year-old, who would have missed the race due to a high pulse rate and fever had it been held as scheduled on Sunday, brushed aside the record-breaking achievement.
"I just take it so simply. More girls are coming, someone will win seven, eight, nine, 10. Now I have six. Even if I quit here, I'm more than happy.
"Probably when I quit skiing I'll think about it more because right now I just concentrate on my skiing and not think about how many medals I won already and how much I'll win," said Kostelic.
"I'm just skiing, enjoying it and having fun."
Kostelic said the silver possibly made her even more happy than winning the combined gold medal last Saturday, a feat that made her the first woman Alpine skier to win four golds.
Kostelic’s web page (pictured)
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The German women set the pace as expected in Monday's opening run of the women's bobsleigh competition of the Turin Games, which was marred by a spectacular crash.
The Netherlands number 1 sled rolled over and slid down the Cesana track around several curves before driver Ilse Broeders and brakewoman Jeannette Pennings were able to get out of it.
Neither appeared to have sustained any serious injury.
Sandra Kiriasis, a silver medallist as Sandra Prokoff when women's bobsleigh made its Olympic debut four years ago in Salt Lake City, and brakewoman Anja Schneiderheinze captured the lead in the Germany I sled with a track record time of 57.16 seconds.
The Germany II bob driven by 2002 bronze medallist Susi Erdmann was in second position, 0.10 second back before the second run later on Monday.
The final two, medal-deciding runs are on Tuesday.
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Ice hockey: The Americans, upset at missing out on a chance to play for a gold medal, took their frustrations out on the Finns piling up three goals in the first period.
Sweden edged the U.S. in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals to stop the Americans from advancing to a rematch with Canada in the finals. It was the first time the U.S. lost in a major tournament to a team other than Canada.
"At the beginning of the Games, we were looking to win one colour (a gold medal) and in the end, we're taking home a different one (the bronze medal)," said Angela Ruggiero.
"It was really hard right after the Sweden loss. But I am proud that we regrouped. We were really up at the beginning of today's game."
Kelly Stephens opened the scoring and King followed with a pair as the U.S., the 1998 gold medallists and silver medallists in Salt Lake City four years ago, dominated play.
King completed her hat trick at 1:44 of the second period to close out the scoring.
The gold medal game between Canada and Sweden will be played later on Monday.
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Skiers snowed out (Feb 20)
From the Australian Olympic team: Australia's aerialists will have to wait another two days before they launch their Olympic campaigns, after heavy snow falls and blizzard-type conditions forced the postponement of the qualifying round at Sauze d'Oulx.
Qualifying will now be held on 21 February (Day 11) with the top-12 competitors from a field of 24 advancing to the final the following day on Day 12.
Australia's squad of Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin, Lydia Ieriodiaconou and Liz Gardner were reluctant to compete under the worsening conditions as they would have been forced to change their inruns…
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Timmer regains speed skating form (Feb 19)
From the Torinoi Olympic web: Marianne Timmer reached the highest rung of the podium in the ladies' 1000m, duplicating the gold she won in Nagano 1998. The Dutchwoman made the best possible amends after the double false start which got her disqualified from the 500m. So she become, together with the American Bonnie Blair, the only skater to have gained two Olympic gold medals across this distance.
This was the third medal at the Torino games for Canadian Cindy Klassen - silver in the pursuit, bronze in the 3000m and missing the most precious medal by only four hundredths. Third medal also for the German Anni Friesinger, who raced in the last heat and was tipped favourite on the eve of the after the five successes this season in world cup. All three previous Olympic medal winners abdicated: The US's Cris Witty, gold in Salt Lake City 2002, world and Olympic record holder, came 27th; Sabine Wolker (D) the outgoing silver medal finished 21st whilst ex bronze medallist Jennifer Rodriguez (USA) only came 10th…
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Record Oz crew tackles winter (Feb 18)
A record eighteen Australian women make up the 40-strong Australian Winter Olympic Team in Turin, Italy, a big increase on the 27 athletes who competed in the last Games in Salt Lake City.
Kylie Reed and Astrid Loch-Wilkinson are Australia's first Olympic women's representatives in the bobsleigh event. Both Reed and Loch-Wilkinson come from successful athletics backgrounds. Reed, a former West Australian long jump champion, made her bobsled debut at the Europe Cup in Winterberg, Germany, in November 2003, with current pilot Astrid Loch-Wilkinson driving the sled. The duo finished in ninth place at the Cup and a year later the pair achieved 19th place at the World Cup in Iglis, Austria. They begin competition on the 20th February.
Michelle Steele made history on Thursday as Australia's first female competitor in the skeleton event. A former lifesaving beach sprint athlete, Steele was recruited for the event very recently and yesterday achieved an outstanding thirteenth in the skeleton race, which involves lying face-down on a sledge and sliding down an icy track at astonishing speeds.
Australia also has two exciting competitors in cross- country skiing, Esther Bottomley in sprint and Clare-Louise Brumley in the 30km Free and Pursuit. Claire-Louise Brumley finished 42nd in the ladies's 15km pursuit at the cross country venue, Pregato Plan near Sesquiere on the 13th February. The 29-year-old skier from Templestowe was ecstatic with her efforts.
“"That's my best ever race and I've done it at the Olympics," a delighted Brumley said.”Classic is my strength and I had a really good first half. I had a quick, easy changeover and out onto the 'skate' leg and my place jumped around between 37th and 43rd," she said. Brumley returns to competition on the 24th February for the 30km ladies's freestyle, while Bottomley is yet to compete.
In the luge, Hannah Campbell-Pegg was lucky to finish in 23rd place, after the competition was marred by a number of crashes. Seven sliders withdrew from the competition after serious crashes and a further six crashed but were able to cross the finish line.
"With the long delays (for accidents) it was pretty stressful,” Campbell- Pegg said. "It was such a relief to cross the finish line for the last time. I was just hoping for second last, 28th or 29th."
In the moguls, Manuela Berchtold has managed to overcome a number of knee injuries which have prevented her from competing on the world circuit to achieve 14th place in the final at Torino.
Australia has only one competitor in the figure skating event, 25-year-old Jo Carter from Sydney. It has been eight long years since Carter's last Olympics after a serious knee injury kept her from competing at Salt Lake City. Carter is yet to compete.
Emily Rosemond is also returning from serious knee injury to compete in the 1000m and 1500m speed skating events. The skater from Queensland begins competing today in the 1500m heats.
In the exciting snowboard events, Australian champion Torah Bright achieved an admirable fifth place in the half pipe final but says she believes she would have placed high enough for a medal had her shoulder not dislocated mid-trick. Bright says the joint popped back in almost immediately but says the shock left her so distracted that she crashed on her next trick, and had to abandon one of her toughest moves.
Bright's training partner Holly Crawford placed 18th of the field of 34, despite severe bruising from an earlier training crash and another heavy crash during the qualifying rounds.
Meanwhile, snowboarder Emily Thomas placed 19th and 21st in her qualifying runs in the snowboarding cross which wasn't high enough to get a place in the final. PGS champion Johanna Shaw competes later this week.
Gold medalist Alisa Camplin is returning from a second knee reconstruction to compete in the women's freestyle aerials later this week along with Jacqui Cooper, Elizabeth Gardner and Lydia Ierodiaconou.
Such a strong Olympic team is a sign of the growing popularity of winter sports, says AOC secretary-general Craig Phillips. "It is fantastic. It is good to see such a strong representation of women with almost a 50-50 split across the team," Phillips said.
"It's also recognition, I think, that we now have athletes performing at the highest level on the world stage in some of these winter disciplines."
The Australian women have achieved some excellent results so far and, with competition continuing next week, Australia will be watching for more exciting Olympic action.
By Jessica Craven

Winter Olympics -- day 6 (Feb 16)
Day 6 overview: The day started with the victory of the Esthonian Kristina Smigun, ladies cross country skiing champion, adding to her golden collection her second medal of these XX Olympic Winter Games. She shared the podium with Bjoergen Marit and Hilde Pedersen.
The day of surprises debuts with the biathlon event: wonderful victory by Florence Beverel-Robert at her first success. On the slopes of Cesana San Sicario she beat the super favourite Swedish Anna Carin Oloffson, that anyway climbed the second step of the podium, third the Ukrainian Lilia Efremova who repeated the Orsblie result. Snowboard dominion by the USA…
Special emotions at the Oval Lingotto, with the great German team, Daniela Anschuetz, Anni Friesinger and Claudia Pechstein sanctioning the ladies' speed skating team pursuit record by overcoming Canada and Russia…
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Skeleton: The strongest athlete won, the only one able to face the speed of the Cesana Pariol track without making any mistakes. The Swiss Maya Pedersen follows the American Tristan Gale in the Golden Roll and adds the skeleton Olympic title to the two World Championships in 2001 and 2005. We know that the Swiss was one of the favourites. This year she lost the World Cup winning as many as 4 legs in Lake Placid, Sigulda, Saint Moritz and Altenberg.
To send her to the honours plaza was merely the sensational regularity of the Canadian Melissa Hollingsworth-Richards, able to gain seven consecutive podiums. The twenty-six-year old from Eckville was partially disappointing. In the first heat she was 75 hundreds from Pedersen, but she could have won the silver medal anyway, if a veering in the second heat hadn't forced her to settle for the bronze medal. The German Diana Sartor was even out of the medals area, after being second in the first descent.
The surprise came from the UK Shelley Rudman, already very fast during training, who arrived behind the winner, even if she had a significant delay, 1”23. This year, the 24-year-old from Swindon won a silver medal also at the Saint Moritz European Championships. Italy celebrates an excellent fifth place of Costanza Zanoletti from Piemonte, who during her second descent climbed up three positions…
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Australian Michelle Steele finished 13th in the women's skeleton at Cesana Pariol. Steele clocked a combined time of 2:03.09 over her two runs, some 3.64 seconds behind winner Maya Pedersen of Switzerland. The young woman from Bundaberg, in Queensland, switched from beach sprints to winter sports as part of an Australian Institute of Sport development program less than two years ago. This is her first olympics.
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Zhurova takes 500m speed skating (Feb 15)
Russian Svetlana Zhurova won gold in the women's 500 metres, in front of Chinese Manli Wang and Hui Ren. It is an important gold for Zhurova that came after winning the World championships sprint in January. Especially after the criticism she received from her federation because she preferred to be mother to little Yaroslav than skater. For the Chinese team the hope of winning the first Olympic gold will have to wait until Vancouver 2010. They collected two very precious medals, however. Won by 32 year old Manli Wang and the surprising 23 year old Hui Ren, they are the only Chinese together with Ye Qiaobo (3 medals in 1994), to step up onto the Olympic podium…
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Luge: Germany couldn't have done any better. It monopolised the women's luge podium, transforming the Cesana Pariol Olympic competition into a national competition. Obviously not a surprise. It had already happened at Salt Lake City and it is certainly not the only time that the Germans have not lost a World Cup competition since as far back as 1997. The athletes that won the medals were the same ones that won the first three places in the general class of the Cup…
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Russians dominate skating (Feb 14)
From the Winter Olympics: The first medal of the Olympic figure skating arrived at the end of a competition rich in emotion that left the audience and the competitors in doubt until the end.
If perhaps Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin’s gold medal could have been predicted, the Russian duo – already ahead in the short programme - revealed their best cards to assure themselves this trophy: they came onto the rink with triumphant snatch, and completed their routine nearly perfectly. Triple jumps (a stupendous Salchow) launched and landed safely, beautiful spins, unison, grace and elegance: a superlative technique that allowed Oleg Vasiliev’s pupils to earn a total of 204.48 points – an impressive lead of almost fifteen points over second place.
The silver medal went to Chinese Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang, victims of a brutal fall trying a Salchow quadruple jump launched at the start and left the whole Palavela without breath. After a brief pause they showed their courage continuing until the end with only a few minor mistakes. Their final total was 189.73 points.
Chinese Xue Shen / Hongbo Zhao were on the third step of the podium once again, surprisingly because they were fifth after the short programme and affected by a bad injury…
Full story (Pic: Torino Olympics)

Ice hockey battles extremes in form (Feb 14)
After three Olympics women's ice hockey was finally supposed to come of age at the Turin Winter Games.
The growing pains, however, look set to continue for some time as the gaping divide in talent among the women's hockey playing nations that was to have narrowed since the Salt Lake City Olympics has widened into a chasm into which the sport could ultimately fall.
Hockey super powers Canada and the United States were always expected to again play for gold in Turin but their road to the final was anticipated to be tougher.
But both Canada and the U.S. reached the final four with embarrassing ease, without conceding a goal.
Canada opened the tournament by thrashing Italy 16-0, handing the hosts the worst beating in Olympic hockey history.
The defending gold medallist then continued their scoring rampage against Russia with a 12-0 rout.
The U.S. passage has been equally smooth with 6-0 and 5-0 wins over Switzerland and Germany.
Canada and the U.S. have met in the final of all nine world championships and the gold medal games of both Olympics in which women's hockey has been played.
Of those Canada have only twice settled for silver, at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and the 2005 world championships, in a 1-0 overtime shootout.
"Every team is getting better but so are we," said Canadian forward Cherie Piper. "They're closing the gap on each other but we've kept getting better as well."
Sensing the possibility of a blow out, Rene Fasel, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), pleaded for patience and understanding before the opening face off between Canada and Italy.
While the Italian players took their defeat in good humour others were less impressed.
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Torah Bright has overcome a shoulder injury to finish fifth in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at Bardonecchia. Bright’s shoulder popped out in the first run of the final, and she required treatment before her second run.
econd run to prove she is one of the elite competitors before coming up just short of Australia’s first medal of the Games.
After a disappointing opening run, Bright responded like a true champion. Landing all of her tricks including a switch backside 540, Bright registered 41.0 to challenge the early leaders.
Bright just missed landing the first trick in her opening run and subsequently scored just 17.0. That left Bright in 10th place going into the second run. But pressure seems to bring the best out in the affable 19-year-old.
Bright was philosophical about her performance.
“It’s good, it’s all good, a great experience,” Bright said..
Australian team link (Pic: Olympics.com.au)

Ski jumpers bid for Vancouver (Feb 12)
The Women Ski Jumpers (USA) from Salt Lake City have attracted a storm of publicity at the Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy. The organization is protesting against the fact that Ski Jumping is the only Winter Olympic Sport in which women are not allowed to compete.
Many of the winter sports at the Games involve great risk: incredible speeds and impacts which carry a high risk of serious injury. However, the International Ski Federation states that the landing after a ski jump is involves a shock similar to jumping to the ground from two metres up. The Federation argues that it is not medically appropriate or sound for women to be doing this repeatedly.
Nevertheless, The Women Ski Jumpers from Park City in Salt Lake are fighting this decision every step of the way. They are trying to convince the Federation to set aside this verdict and let women compete, just as the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federations opened the competition to women seven years ago.
There is no doubt that the young women from Park City are phenomenal athletes. Alissa Johnson, 18, whose younger brother Anders [16] made the U.S. Olympic team, had no chance to compete for her country, even though she is ranked 12th in the world. Park City also boasts jumpers such as Lindsay Van, who holds two national ski jumping titles and Jessica Jerome, the no. 3 ski jumper in the world.
"Our situation is very frustrating," said Van, a University of Utah student who has been jumping since she was 7. "We feel as if we are not recognized for the same work as the males do. It is harder for us on every front of the sport. Each day is a battle for us, to improve the sport, and to push it forward. We hope to be added as an Olympic event in 2010. We think if this happens much will follow.”
The sport has to meet a number of strict criteria by both the FIS and the IOC if it is to be accepted into the winter Olympics. The sport must have World Championships and regional championships regularly. There is a minimum number of countries which must participate in the sport and each nation must have a national federation which complies with the international federation's requirements.
Despite all the hurdles, US Nordic director Luke Bodensteiner is confident women ski jumpers will make it into the Olympics, sooner or later. "I think so, for sure," he said." They should be there. They deserve it. Their sport has grown to where it's worthy of Olympic competition.”
By Jessica Craven
Women Ski Jumper web (USA)

Aus hope steels for Turin (Jan 30)
Michelle Steele will go from beach babe to winter Olympian when she makes history next month as Australia's first Olympic competitor in the skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics at Turin, Italy.
Michelle, 19, is a former beach sprinting champion from Bundaberg who has abandoned athletics to train for an event which sees her guide a sled down an icy track at speeds of more than 120km/hr.
Less than two years ago, Michelle was combining an occupational therapy degree at the University of Queensland with the surf life saving circuit. After the collapse of the national series, she looked for a new sporting challenge and was fast-tracked into the Australian Winter Olympic Institute ice-sliding program.
Skeleton is a relatively unknown event but it is similar to luge. However, contestants travel on their stomachs, head first. It is a terrifying ride down an icy track. Michelle says "It mightn't look like it but you're steering the whole way and if you miss a steer it's possible you'll crash," says Michelle. "You've got to be a bit crazy."
Michelle is considered a medal hope after achieving an admirable fourth in the World Cup Season and a string of top-ten finishes. Her coaches believe she could use her phenomenal speed over 30m to turn herself into a world champion at the sport.
The women's skeleton event premiered at the last Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
By Jessica Craven
Source: Monash University

Slutskaya takes record 7th skate world title (Jan 23)
Russia’s Irina Slutskaya, 26, has made figure skating history by winning her seventh title at the 2006 European Championships, breaking the record she held with Katarina Witt and Sonja Henie.
Slutskaya won her first European Championship ten years ago as a sixteen-year-old. The reigning world champion secured her place in the history books with a flamenco themed routine with an extremely difficult triple Lutz-double loop combination, followed by a triple Salchow-double loop-double toe loop and a flying camel spin with change of edge and change of position that was graded a level four.
She made only one mistake during the routine, earning 126.81 points for her performance and winning the event with 193.24 points. She won the free skate easily, finishing more than 15 points in front of fellow Russian Yelena Sokolova.
By Jessica Craven
International Skating Union story

Oz sled hurtles into race (Jan 16, 2006)
From Fox Sport: She started out pushing a billy-cart around Eastwood Oval. On January 14, University of Sydney student Astrid Loch-Wilkinson, with brake-woman Kylie Reed, hurtled into Winter Olympics history as the pilot of the first Australia women's bobsleigh team to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Fox Sport home; Story
Plus…
From the University of Sydney website: Astrid, 23, is in her final year of a veterinary science degree at the University of Sydney, having completed four years studying on both Camperdown and Camden campuses.
In November 2005, Astrid and Kylie shared second prize in bobsleigh at the Europa Cup meeting in Austria…A former track and field athlete, Astrid only took up bobsleigh racing in 2003. Her sporting achievements include winning a University Blue in soccer in 2004. She held Sydney University Sports Scholarships in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Story link

Brighter winter prospects (Oct 20)
With only four months until the biggest winter sporting event, Australia looked like another nation making up the numbers in a sport dominated by European powerhouses.
It had its medal hopes shattered with the news that reigning Olympic Champion and World number one freestyle aerialist Alisa Camplin (pictured) had torn her anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee whilst training in the United States , and World number two Lydia Ierodiaconou recovering from the same injury as Camplin. The only real hope that remained was teenage sensation Torah Bright in the snowboarding half-pipe event.
"I don't think it's sunk in yet," Camplin told Sportal.com.au , "I just can't believe this has happened, given how well everything had been going."
Camplin decided to practise a new aerial manoeuvre, the quadruple twisting double somersault, after she had become the first woman in freestyle skiing history to execute a Full Triple Full jump.
"My old competition jumps had become really easy, and my new quad twisting jumps had advanced well beyond expectations for this stage of my Olympic campaign." Camplin said.
"I was so excited with the way my jumping had progressed in the last month,"
But the news is not so bad, with Camplin undergoing radical surgery last Thursday to repair her injured knee. The surgery was such a success, that surgeons have told the 29-year-old that she may be back on her skis before Christmas, with the possibility of being in Northern Italy competing for a medal in mid-February.
Australia 's current golden-girl in Alisa Camplin will hopefully join another golden-haired girl in Torah Bright to win a gold medal in Turin . Bright qualified for the Olympic Games after she finished third at the Bardonecchia World Cup Event in March.
The promising thing about this result is that this will be the place where the snowboarding competition will be held during next year's Olympic Games. Bright has also won a World Cup event on this course, taking out the same tournament last year, her first as a professional snowboarder.
The hype surrounding Bright has some very strong merit attached to it. In May earlier this year, she took out the annual Snowboard Athlete of the Year, the Junior Athlete of the Year and the Junior Snowboarder of the Year. Not only did she receive these prestigious accolades, but she is also the highest ranked winter athlete from the Southern Hemisphere - men included.
The Cooma-born rider says she is not feeling the pressure of being touted as a real gold medal prospect for Australia , in fact, Bright just "brush(es) it off," as she told the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year.
"When people introduce me as a gold medal prospect I just brush it off."
"The only pressure I feel," Bright says, "is the pressure to see the sport and female snowboarders progress."
"After the Olympics, I've got a whole winter of competitions as well, so it's not the be-all and end-all for me," Bright remarks.
Australia 's prospects of improving its reputation as a winter sporting nation beyond Turin and into Vancouver 2010 look promising. But for now, an improving performance in four months time looks possible, after such a rocky road.
By Rick D'Andrea

Ski champ for surgery (Oct 13)
Australian aerial skiing sensation Alisa Camplin will undergo radical knee surgery today in Melbourne in a bid to defend her title at February's Winter Olympics in Turin.
The 29-year-old Camplin injured her knee while training in New York this week.
Camplin was attempting a new double somersault jump when the accident occurred. It's the second time she's torn her knee ligament this year.
A spokesman for he Olympic Winter Institute, Barry White, says if doctors use donated tissue to replace the ligament, Camplin's recovery time may be shortened.
„A donor ligament certainly shortens the time of recovery,” he said. “But it's still a lengthy recovery period - it's several months.”
The 2002 Salt Lake City gold medallist is expected to struggle to be near her best for the Games but has high hopes of returning to competition.
Mr White said Camplin was staying positive about her Olympic chances.
“She's certainly very positive, she believes that she can still do it,” he said.
“She believes she‚s come back in the past from serious setbacks, serious injuries, and proved she can overcome them, so certainly she's got a great fighting spirt.”
It's the same surgery technique used by team-mate Lydia Ierodiaconou, who had the operation in June and was back on skis less than three months later. (Click here for another take on the Camplin story)
By Lauren Hilbert
(Click here for another take on the Camplin story)

Features

Links

Australian Winter Sports Website www.wintersports.com.au
Olympic Games Website www.olympic.org/uk/games/torino/index_uk.asp
History of the Winter Olympics www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0115110.html
Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games Website www.torino2006.org