Wednesday - Race Day

Today's transportation to Creekside was brought to me by - a limo ride!! Turns out the driver actually worked in the same hotel as me at the same time, back in the day, when I was a university student bartending at Banff Park Lodge - summer between 3rd and 4th year - 1983. He was the first person I've seen wearing a suit in three weeks! We didn't know each other back then, but it sure was a blast from the past talking about our lives there that summer - wow.

Ladies' Giant Slalom - starts up high, lots of gates, racers wear protection on the front of their poles to whack the gates out of way, and a Gate Judge has to keep a very watchful eye for skis and boots rounding those gates, as the racer comes much tighter round them than they did in their tuck position of the downhill events. They get two runs - one scheduled for morning, one in the afternoon. So, for we Crew, that means a 7am arrival for a 10:00am Start, lunch on the go, and standing, standing, standing, all day long.

I was put in a new position, which I quite liked: I was watching the gates just at the top of hot air. Was anyone watching when Lindsey Vonn, (the American superstar) wiped out into the fenced and got all tangled up - that was right after she passed my second gate. It was cool to get the report from the medic as to her hand injury before that was released to the media. The only sour part of that was that she complained about the course to the media for throwing her off balance enough to catch an edge and send her careening into the fencing. Yea, yea, superstar - how come everyone else made it past that spot okay?

And then the fog returned...the afternoon run was postponed, and postponed again, and eventually called for the day. They would have to continue tomorrow.

This was the day my virus grew - cough increased, chest and throat pain - and standing in the damp fog all day didn't help. One of the Medic's said he'd give me a once-over after the race, but there's so much that goes on when the race is done, and with everyone springing into action, that got forgotten. But, he had said that I should go to the Polyclinic at the Athlete's Village if I wanted to see a Dr. Ooo...I've heard it's state of the art...it is in the Athlete's Village after all - an area my Accreditation doesn't cover, but hey, if I need medical attention and all, well, this could just work out fine.

Oh, but before I go there, I just want to tell you about getting off the hill that day - we'd heard with the mild temps that the bottom was just brutal to ski out, and we'd been watching coaches scoot down an alternate route right beside the Finish to meet up with their athletes, and at this point, as everyone is exhausted, cold and damp, there's a lot of "What are they going to do, fire me?" attitude going around. So, this was so cool...we skied down, and right down the path where the athletes ski out of the Finish, and the media lean over the fence to get a few words from the winners. There are cameras - both still and TV everywhere, there are cheering countrymen, there are people staring wondering just what is a Gate Judge (my big bib over my jacket labels me), and she important enough to take a photo of? We lingered, we took pics, we listened to interviews - fun.

On my way home, I usually transfer busses just outside the Athletes' Village, but this time, I walked into their security tent and asked to see a doc at the Poly Clinic. Well, you'd think I'd asked for an appt. to see the bloody Queen. I had to get an "Upgraded" Accreditation, be escorted to the shuttle, and although it took an hour, I was in! Cruising up the hidden road, which winds through a wooded area, in a private shuttle until you come to an area with low rise condo type buildings, parking lots, well lit streets and squares, flags, olympic rings, many tents for the many services they offer the athletes, and of course, lots of athletes. Funny, when they come to the mountain, I always say hi first, and they respond - they're all so friendly, but at the Village, when they hopped on the shuttle, or passed me on the sidewalk, they said hi first.

The Poly Clinic was cool - just like a mini hospital - they have emerg rooms, critical care, xray, CT and MRI machines - everything. I was quickly examined, and although I felt horrible, and my chest was sore when I was coughing, my lungs were clear, and that's all I needed to hear. I was on my way, when an ambulance helicopter pilot started chatting with me on the way out. He ended up giving me his dinner ticket, which was great, because I was starving. So, I actually had a meal at the McDonalds there - neat, eh?

Of course, had to wait forever once again for the bus once I shuttled back to the Welcome Centre, that security tent back out by the highway - ugh!