Oh I forgot to mention my suitcase arrived yesterday, it’s a bit beaten and battered but I was glad to see it! So this morning I can put on some fresh clothes!

No figure skating today, it’s the Ladies 3,000m Speed Skating and the short track. I don’t feel that great today, yesterday was a long day and I think the jet lag is kicking in! I feel like I drank a bottle of wine last night and I promise you I didn’t have a drop!

I have 3 programs today and I am the spare program for the ski jumping in case anything goes wrong. This means from the early afternoon I have to be in the IBC on standby.

My first program was a 12 minute piece on the 3,00 meters, I only had to commentate on 2 races which was fun to do. Ireen Wus from the Netherlands was amazing, just 19 years of age and the junior world champion winning Olympic gold in a class field!

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The short track I did with Simon Reed (We also do the figure skating together………. Well not literally you understand, we just talk about it……. The thought of Simon on skates is not a pretty one!) I had to run from the IBC to the Pavelea which is normally about a 15 minute walk but on this occasion it took me about 45 minutes dut to the number of people and the queue at the security point. I haven’t told you about the security, at every venue there are security check points just like at the airport. There are volunteers there, the army and the local police, the Italians have taken the security very seriously, thank goodness!

Once I got in the races were underway but we hadn’t started to broadcast because the ski jumping was running late. The short track is always good fun, we had the mens 1500, ladies 500 and the ladies 3000 relay. It all went well with Apollo Anton Ohno completely making a pigs ear of it (much to the joy of the Koreans who hate him after the last games) It was a Korea 1 st 2 nd and china 3 rd. It was good to see a packed house for the short track, the Italians love their speed skating!

Now a mad dash back to the IBC for the Ladies 3000 again, I had a 45 minute show to do that finished a 1:00am. Pretty tired now so back on the bus and bed!................

 

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