Ireland's latest unlikely hero has a name longer than the skeleton he clings to in the most dangerous sport in the Winter Olympics.
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Lord Clifton Hugh Lancelot De Verdon Wrottesley of Ireland celebrates at the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City yesterday.
Photograph: Reuters
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The 6th Baron Wrottesley, Sir Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon Wrottesley, came within a fraction of a second of giving Ireland its first-ever Winter Olympic medal after coming fourth in the men's skeleton race at Utah Olympic Park.
After the first heat, the 33-year-old fourth Lord of Wrottesley, who only turned to skeleton three years ago, was in bronze medal position, flashing down the track at 79.3 (127.7) miles an hour. In the second run, he just failed to hold third place by a slender 0.42 of a second.
"It was amazing the reaction to his performance. Everyone was cheering," said Ireland's IOC member Mr Pat Hickey. "I have never seen anything like it," he added.
Mr Hickey is now hoping his performance will persuade the Government and the Irish Sports Council to start helping fund the Irish winter athletes.
Despite being born in Dublin, Wrottesley's upbringing and background is anything but Irish: He went to Eton and Sandhurst, was a Grenadier Guards captain and is a member of Britain's House of Lords.
But Wrottesley is quick to play down his guilded title. "Oh, I don't court attention and I don't really like it. My title's an accident of birth. Only really comes in handy when you want a good table in a restaurant," he said.
AFP