A STRANGE chill from Britain is blowing through winter sports ahead of the 2010 Games at Whistler in Vancouver.
Team GB, of course, has never been a heavyweight in the Winter Olympics with the Games dominated by USA, Russia, Germany and the Scandinavian nations.
Indeed, Britain has won just 20 medals in the 20 competitions dating back to 1924. Ten of the medals had been won by 1952.
But the British are sending a team to Canada capable of drastically improving that record and shrugging off a reputation for gallant failure.
That notion was summed up by Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards' infamous last-placed finish in the ski jump at Calgary in 1988 but it is more than a little unfair on a relatively flat country with a temperate climate.
In fact, Britain regularly excelled at figure skating in the 1970s and 1980s.
There were gold medals for John Curry (1976), Robin Cousins (1980) and the nation's most well-known winter sports competitors Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean (1984).
After two consecutive Games without medal success in 1988 and 1992, Torvill and Dean returned in 1994 and won one of two bronzes, the other being achieved by speed skater Nicky Gooch.
Britain's only gold since 1984 came in the curling arena in 2002 as Ayr housewife Rhona Martin led her team to a famous 4-3 win over Switzerland in a tense final.
But there has been success on the track with bronze for the four-man bobsleigh team in 1998 and consecutive women's skeleton medals for Alex Coomber (bronze, 2002) and Shelley Rudman (silver, 2006).
Rudman returns, looking to go one better, and she will carry the Union Jack flag at the opening ceremony. Several of her team mates also have strong medal chances.
Can Team GB warm British hearts this winter with success in Whistler?
MEDAL CHANCES
Watch out for...
Shelley Rudman (Skeleton)
The aforementioned Rudman is Britain's strongest chance for a medal after she showed excellent form throughout the season by finishing second place overall in the World Cup over eight rounds. Highlights were undoubtedly the wins in Cesana, Italy and St Moritz, Switzerland. Further chances of medal success in the Skeleton come from Amy Williams and Adam Pengilly who both won silver at the World Championships at Lake Placid in 2009. Rudman's partner Kristan Bromley took gold at the 2008 World Championships in Altenberg and has had two podium finishes this season.
Event dates:
Team GB, of course, has never been a heavyweight in the Winter Olympics with the Games dominated by USA, Russia, Germany and the Scandinavian nations.
Indeed, Britain has won just 20 medals in the 20 competitions dating back to 1924. Ten of the medals had been won by 1952.
But the British are sending a team to Canada capable of drastically improving that record and shrugging off a reputation for gallant failure.
That notion was summed up by Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards' infamous last-placed finish in the ski jump at Calgary in 1988 but it is more than a little unfair on a relatively flat country with a temperate climate.
In fact, Britain regularly excelled at figure skating in the 1970s and 1980s.
There were gold medals for John Curry (1976), Robin Cousins (1980) and the nation's most well-known winter sports competitors Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean (1984).
After two consecutive Games without medal success in 1988 and 1992, Torvill and Dean returned in 1994 and won one of two bronzes, the other being achieved by speed skater Nicky Gooch.
Britain's only gold since 1984 came in the curling arena in 2002 as Ayr housewife Rhona Martin led her team to a famous 4-3 win over Switzerland in a tense final.
But there has been success on the track with bronze for the four-man bobsleigh team in 1998 and consecutive women's skeleton medals for Alex Coomber (bronze, 2002) and Shelley Rudman (silver, 2006).
Rudman returns, looking to go one better, and she will carry the Union Jack flag at the opening ceremony. Several of her team mates also have strong medal chances.
Can Team GB warm British hearts this winter with success in Whistler?
MEDAL CHANCES
Watch out for...
Shelley Rudman (Skeleton)
The aforementioned Rudman is Britain's strongest chance for a medal after she showed excellent form throughout the season by finishing second place overall in the World Cup over eight rounds. Highlights were undoubtedly the wins in Cesana, Italy and St Moritz, Switzerland. Further chances of medal success in the Skeleton come from Amy Williams and Adam Pengilly who both won silver at the World Championships at Lake Placid in 2009. Rudman's partner Kristan Bromley took gold at the 2008 World Championships in Altenberg and has had two podium finishes this season.
Event dates:
Fri 19 February - Qualifying runs
Women's runs (midnight & 1.10am), Men's runs (2.30am & 4am)
Fri 19 February-Saturday 20 February - Finals runs
Women's runs (23.45pm & 00.55am), Men's runs (2.20am & 3.50am)
Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke (Bobsleigh)
The pair won gold at the World Championships at Lake Placid in 2009 to cap an excellent season in which they also finished third during the World Cup series. This year's form has been less spectacular with a seventh and two eighth-placed finishes in the first three World Cup races but they remain a threat to the rest of the field.
Event dates:
Wed 24 February - Qualifying runs
Women's runs (1am & 2.10am)
Thu 25 February - Finals runs
Women's runs (1am & 2.10am)
David Murdoch and team (Curling)
Skipper David Murdoch will hope to repeat the 2002 success of Rhona Martin by winning curling gold. Strongly fancied in previous Olympics, the men have often let the pressure get to them and failed to live up to expectations, losing in a bronze medal play-off to the USA in 2006. Murdoch's men won the World Championships in April, beating Canada 7-6. They clearly represent a real chance of success for Britain.
Event dates:
Women's runs (1am & 2.10am)
Thu 25 February - Finals runs
Women's runs (1am & 2.10am)
David Murdoch and team (Curling)
Skipper David Murdoch will hope to repeat the 2002 success of Rhona Martin by winning curling gold. Strongly fancied in previous Olympics, the men have often let the pressure get to them and failed to live up to expectations, losing in a bronze medal play-off to the USA in 2006. Murdoch's men won the World Championships in April, beating Canada 7-6. They clearly represent a real chance of success for Britain.
Event dates:
Tue 16 February v Sweden (5pm)
Wed 17 February v France (10pm)
Thu 18 February v Switzerland (5pm)
Fri 19 February v Denmark (3am)
Sat 20 February v China (5pm)
Sun 21 February v Canada (3am), v United States (10pm)
Tue 23 February v Germany (3am), v Norway (10pm)
Thu 25 February - Semi finals (10pm)
Sat 27 February - Bronze medal match (5pm), Final (11pm)
John and Sinead Kerr (Figure Skating)
More than 25 years after Torvill and Dean won gold, Britain has finally produced another figure skating duo with a real medal chance. Siblings John and Sinead Kerr won bronze in the 2008-09 European Championships and are currently ranked fifth in the world.
Event dates:
Sat 20 February - Compulsory (00.45am)
Mon 22 February - Original (00.15am)
Tue 23 February - Free dance (00.45am)
Jon Eley, Elise Christie (Speed skating)
Eley and Christie have outside chances of a medal in their respective events on the speed skating track. Eley will race in the 500m and as part of a five-man relay team while 19-year-old Christie will compete in three individual events - the 500m, 1000m and 1500m. Christie was part of the women's relay team which won gold at the World Championships in South Korea in 2008 and she won silver in the 1500m individual race at the European Championships in 2009.
Event dates:
Men's 5000m relay
Thu 18 February (2.32am) & Sat 27 February (Final 3.51am)
Men's 500m
Wed 24 February (1.47am) & Sat 27 February (Final 3.14am)
Women's 500m
Sun 14 February (1.42am) & Thu 18 February (1am, 2.10am, Final 3.07am)
Women's 1000m
Thu 25 February (1am) & Sat 27 February (2.14am, 2.52am, Final 3.24am)
Women's 1500m
Thu 25 February (1am) & Sat 27 February (2.14am, 2.52am, Final 3.24am)
Women's 1500m
Sun 21 February (1.45am, 2.58am, Final 3.51am)
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