Sport

Winter Olympics: Irish in action on Day Four

Disappointment for Jack Gower in the men’s Super-G; Elsa Desmond back on luge track

Jack Gower was a DNF in the Men’s Super-G race. Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

Tue Feb 8 2022 - 17:15

There was disappointment for Jack Gower in the men's Super-G today in Yangqing, when he joined a long list of DNFs.

The 27-year-old was the only Team Ireland athlete in action in the morning session of day four of the Games and had been targeting a top-20 finish in the event.

Afterwards, a dejected Gower spoke about the disappointment of not finishing due to going through a panel halfway down the course: “It’s hard to put in words today.

Jack Gower looks dejected after his DNF. Photograph: Sean M Haffey/Getty

“This is my event and the event I was performing well in and had high hopes for. I’m pretty disappointed right now, pretty deflated, and that’s the way it goes. Super-G is challenging and technical.”

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The Super-G is a speed event, held on the same course as Monday’s Downhill event. The event combines the speed of the Downhill but includes technical turns similar to the Giant Slalom.

The spacing between the gates allows the speed to build, but with a total vertical drop of 645m over a distance of 2267m contributing to the speed also.

The list of 13 DNFs on the challenging course included Monday’s Olympic Champion in Downhill, Beat Feuz (Switzerland). Gower described the fine balance between taking risks, pushing to the limit, and staying upright in the speed events.

“In the speed events there’s always some back and forth on the mental side. You’ve got to prepare yourself to take every risk you can and put all the other thoughts of injury and everything outside your head. It’s always a mental challenge in these two events, the speed events, when injuries are so prevalent. It’s a constant battle on that side, but that goes with the ground.”

Gower will now switch his focus to the next event on his schedule, the Alpine Combined which takes place on the February 10th. This is an event where the athlete competes in both Downhill and Slalom, with the final ranking being the combined total from both runs.

Later on Tuesday Elsa Desmond finished her Olympic campaign with another clean run in the Women's Singles Luge. The first time Olympian finished her third run in a time of 1:02.254, which was her second fastest on the track. Added to run one and two, she finished her event in 33rd position with an overall time of 3:03.07.719.

The top 20 athletes from run three moved on to the final round, meaning that Desmond’s third run was her final one. The competition was won by Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger, ahead of her teammate Anna Berrieter. Russia’s Tatyana Ivanova won the bronze medal.

Speaking about her run, Desmond said,

“This is the second fastest time that I ever got here, there was definite issues between curve two and three. I’ve only ever got it right twice prior to this. It’s a section I haven’t got my head around and you get that sometimes. But unlike yesterday’s second run I recovered it much quicker, and I managed to relax into the sled which I didn’t manage to do in the second run yesterday.

“I had a couple of taps with my feet down, but it was nothing major. It was consistent with training but a little bit quicker. I’ll take it, I finished three runs, I couldn’t be happier.”

The 24-year-old is the first Irish athlete to finish competition, and enjoyed the moment of relief to have ended on a high,

“I’ve dreamed of this as long as I can remember and I’m here and I did it and I didn’t do anything ridiculous and end up on my face. Why would I not be absolutely ecstatic. I know my parents are at home watching and wish they were here and will be so so proud. I can’t wait to talk to them, I know my mum will be in tears.”

Tomorrow Team Ireland will have two athletes in action, with Tess Arbez competing in the Slalom, and Seamus O’Connor set to become a three-time Olympian, competing in the Snowboard Halfpipe qualifying rounds.

Results: Alpine Skiing - Men’s Super-G

Gold Matthias Mayer (AUT) 1:19.94
Silver Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) 1:19.98 (+0.04)
Bronze Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR) 1:20.36 (+0.42)
DNF - Jack Gower (IRL)

Women’s Singles Luge

Gold Natalie Geisenberger (GER) 3:53.454 - after 4 runs
Silver Anna Berrieter (GER) 3:53.947 - after 4 runs
Bronze Tatyana Ivanova (ROC) 3:54.507 - after 4 runs
33 - Elsa Desmond (IRL) 3:07.719 - after 3 runs

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