A day of reflection while the boys prepare for the 4-Man

(Daily Reports courtesy of The Winter Sports Agency)

So.

It?s the morning after the night before.

Nicola and Jackie have confirmed that they will split up and both drive in separate sleds from this year in the hope that they will both qualify for the World Cup and World Championships.

The 4-Man is preparing for their event which takes place on Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile what do we make of the Women?s performance ? disappointing by their own standards?

Clearly the work they have put in on the development of explosive power and speed at the start has landed them with a top 3 start ? still room for improvement but consistent and a good foundation.

And yet the time at the bottom of the track has indicated a ranking of 8th or so throughout the season ? suggesting that the driving element is barely top ten.

It?s a widely held belief amongst the cognicenti that it takes 7 years to make a driver ? maybe less if they have previous ice experience preferably from Luge.

And maybe it is as simple as that. Nicola needs more time on the ice. After all she did manage the fastest lauf on one occasion, but couldn?t reach that level consistently. Perhaps it was inexperience.

Many will have wondered at the mental preparation too. Nicola seemed particularly on edge before the third and fourth laufs ? a demeanour you don?t see before the 100m final in Olympic athletics, and that you didn?t see in Kiriasis or Rohbock. You could say that it produced a good start ? but one wonders at the effect on the drive.

Perhaps it is a confidence issue. Clearly confidence has a large part to play in the success of drivers in all sports, indeed in all sports events. Whereas Kiriasis had emerged top of the pile at every race throughout the year, Minichiello and Davies had only hope to hang on to that they were going to peak at the right time and that sacrificing a season of podium results was a price worth paying. They did believe that they were on track for personal best performances, but it was an all or nothing strategy ? and there was nothing to say that other nations weren?t peaking as well.

But a hunt for the reasons for ?failure? is only half the story.

The fact that the girls are not happy to just compete at this level is a healthy sign.

That Nicola was able to take on board criticisms and advice to improve her driving in between the first and that dramatic second lauf, suggests that she has what it takes in terms of ability.

That they were able to achieve this level of performance without having in place the new World Class programs that are now being developed in British Bobsleigh gives hope that on a level playing field there may be more to come.

And there is no doubt that in this pair Great Britain has two of the world?s top bobsleigh athletes.

So.

Britain isn?t blessed with a climate that puts ?sliding on ice? high in the sporting priorities of our athletes.

But in the view of the Canadian coach, Welshman ?Gomer? Lloyd, Britain has the world?s ?best-suited national mind-set? for the sport. And the British public has held it in romantic high esteem since the 1920s. There has certainly been a measure of success with 10 World Championship medals and 4 Olympic medals.

And change has been dramatic within British Bobsleigh over the past year and there are now many pieces of the jigsaw either in place or in development that will contribute to growth, improved profile and improved performance in the sport.

Indeed the announcement by Jackie Davies that she will drive from next year is set to coincide with the launch of an elite athlete recruitment campaign in 2006, supported by a National Age-Group talent identification competition ? details of which will be announced in March.

Following the implementation of a world class communications system built and sponsored by 3aIT, the BBA will announce a number of major sponsors in the coming weeks and months, providing equipment, services and funding that will propel BobteamGB into the same league in terms of technical, coaching and logistic support as the well funded Associations of ?ice nations?.

And in the knowledge of the coaching staff, the driving experience of Lee Johnston and the athletic expertise of Minichiello and Davies, there is a wealth of experience to pass on to newcomers.

But perhaps above all, there is a will to succeed, a determination demonstrated in particular by Minichiello and Davies in their single-minded pursuit of their goal.

They may not on this occasion have scaled the heights to which they aspire, but who would bet against them coming back better equipped, more experienced, and in double the numbers in 2010.