British Bobsleigh Association
GB Women share mixed fortunes in Olympic final
25 February 2010
Minichiello crashes out while Walker shines for the future
Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas finished in a fine 11th place in the two man bob at Whistler Sliding Centre overnight.
Walker and Thomas, sliding in GB2, stood 14th after the first two heats, improved to a creditable 11th place finish, 3.90 seconds behind the winners, Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyes, of Canada.
But there was agony for medal hope Nichola Minichiello. Minichiello lost control of her sled on a curve and it flipped over before sliding down the track with the 31-year-old and brakewoman Gillian Cooke trapped inside.
The pair emerged from the sled shaken but not seriously hurt. They did not contest the fourth and final run because Cooke sustained a minor leg injury in the accident.
Minichiello was not the only pilot to crash on her final run. Russians Olga Fedorova and Yulia Timofeeva followed the Britons down the track and also tipped their bob before climbing out unharmed.
Then Germany 2 pilot Cathleen Martini, starting fourth, also crashed after losing brakewoman Romy Logsch out of the back of the sled and over-turning midway down the course.
Their plight helped the Canadians, with Humphries and Moyes maintaining their lead to take gold, while team-mates Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown leap-frogged USA 2 pair Erin Pac and Elana Meyers for silver.
If World Bobsleigh Champion Nicola Minichiello had thoughts of retiring at the age of 32 after these Winter Olympics, they were erased from her mind the moment her world turned upside down last night.
"It can't end like that," she said after a driving error that saw sparks fly from her back runner as she sent her machine above the ice on to the concrete lip of curve 11 and flipped it on to its side at 132kph.
Fortunately there were no serious injuries, but it was spectacular because momentum carried the bob through five more corners with Minichiello and brakeman Gillian Cooke huddled perilously inside as they eventually crossed the finish line.
Minichiello damaged only her pride but brakeman Gillian Cooke hurt her leg, the sled was ruined beyond immediate repair and the two went to the physiotherapists instead of the start hut for the final run.
Walker and Thomas however put in solid performances to over-deliver on expectations:
"3 years of hard work and now the Olympic Games are over for us" Walker writes in her blog. "Runs 3&4 weren't the tidiest but we got down through the clock on all four runners - which was proving quite hard today.
"If anyone had asked me 2 years ago if I would be at the 2010 Winter Olympics. My answer would have been no.....my aim was 2014. I have only been driving for 2 and a half years and it is my first year on the World Cup. We hope that we can make our country proud in the next 4 years!"
Walker and Thomas, sliding in GB2, stood 14th after the first two heats, improved to a creditable 11th place finish, 3.90 seconds behind the winners, Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyes, of Canada.
But there was agony for medal hope Nichola Minichiello. Minichiello lost control of her sled on a curve and it flipped over before sliding down the track with the 31-year-old and brakewoman Gillian Cooke trapped inside.
The pair emerged from the sled shaken but not seriously hurt. They did not contest the fourth and final run because Cooke sustained a minor leg injury in the accident.
Minichiello was not the only pilot to crash on her final run. Russians Olga Fedorova and Yulia Timofeeva followed the Britons down the track and also tipped their bob before climbing out unharmed.
Then Germany 2 pilot Cathleen Martini, starting fourth, also crashed after losing brakewoman Romy Logsch out of the back of the sled and over-turning midway down the course.
Their plight helped the Canadians, with Humphries and Moyes maintaining their lead to take gold, while team-mates Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown leap-frogged USA 2 pair Erin Pac and Elana Meyers for silver.
If World Bobsleigh Champion Nicola Minichiello had thoughts of retiring at the age of 32 after these Winter Olympics, they were erased from her mind the moment her world turned upside down last night.
"It can't end like that," she said after a driving error that saw sparks fly from her back runner as she sent her machine above the ice on to the concrete lip of curve 11 and flipped it on to its side at 132kph.
Fortunately there were no serious injuries, but it was spectacular because momentum carried the bob through five more corners with Minichiello and brakeman Gillian Cooke huddled perilously inside as they eventually crossed the finish line.
Minichiello damaged only her pride but brakeman Gillian Cooke hurt her leg, the sled was ruined beyond immediate repair and the two went to the physiotherapists instead of the start hut for the final run.
Walker and Thomas however put in solid performances to over-deliver on expectations:
"3 years of hard work and now the Olympic Games are over for us" Walker writes in her blog. "Runs 3&4 weren't the tidiest but we got down through the clock on all four runners - which was proving quite hard today.
"If anyone had asked me 2 years ago if I would be at the 2010 Winter Olympics. My answer would have been no.....my aim was 2014. I have only been driving for 2 and a half years and it is my first year on the World Cup. We hope that we can make our country proud in the next 4 years!"