Youth Olympic Games

The Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games are over. Both Roni and her fan club are now back in Canada although she will be on a plane again very soon. She’s been invited to join the Canadian Prospect Team in Vail for a series of NorAm races which is amazing. It’s a great opportunity for a 15 year old and no doubt that lovely Silver Medal that she picked up in Innsbruck helped to get her the invite. 🙂

The last days in Innsbruck were busy. The Ladies GS race was a disappointment for Roni as she finished 15th but again, I thought this was awfully good given that she was racing against the top female 15-16 year olds in the world! But she knew she could do better and anything less than her very best is not good enough for her.

So on her last race, the Ladies Slalom, she showed everyone what she was capable of. The weather was sketchy and some events were cancelled, including Bobsled training runs and Ski Cross. Heavy, wet snow came down all day which made the roads disastrous later but they managed to get both runs of the Slalom in.

When Roni came down 5th in the first run, we were ecstatic. It takes two runs in Slalom and there are a lot of DNF’s typically (and even more than usual on this day with the tricky conditions). 5th means she has a chance of reaching the podium with a good second run. And, anyway, 5th overall would have been great.

But she did better, made even easier by the trail of European racers who didn’t make it to the bottom of the course. She finished Second Overall in the Slalom! Which meant a lot of attention, press interviews, two podium events (the ‘mascot ceremony’ at the hill and the Medals Ceremony in the square that night), and it also meant they whisked her away to do her doping test. (Two people watch the medalist pee to make sure there’s no funny business!)

So, everyone (including Roni) had a new date for the Medals Ceremony that evening, instead of going to the Canada v. Russia Hockey Game that night. And the celebration continued after the event…

Roni’s father, my brother Randy, put together a youtube video with some highlights from the opening ceremony and races. Here it is:

The first Winter Youth Olympic Games will begin in Innsbruck, Austria on January 13, 2012. I will be travelling there with a family group next week to watch the games, experience the skiing, scenery, and villages in the Tyrol area of Austria but most especially, to support our niece who is representing Canada for Alpine Skiing.

Roni Remme is just 15 and has already demonstrated that she is someone to watch. She is one of only two young ladies chosen for the Canadian Youth Olympic Team for Alpine Skiing, and in the youngest age possible for this event.

Her ‘fan club’/family will be sporting red and white hats knit by her maternal grandmother and red sweatshirts with the following graphic (of her competing in the Whistler Cup), purchased by her paternal grandfather. I do hope we don’t embarrass her too much. 🙂

I’ll publish updates from Innsbruck on Roni’s and other Team Canada results as well as any new adventures. The famous Kitzbuehl downhill race will be happening nearby, while we are there so we may go watch that, as well.

Go Roni!

To keep track of events and schedules, here are some URL’s:

http://www.olympic.org/

http://www.innsbruck2012.com/en

www.youtube.com/innsbruck2012

The athlete list can be found here:

http://www.innsbruck2012.com/en/sports/athletes

http://www.innsbruck2012.com/en/sports/athleten/103444_remme_roni

and results on the FIS site:

http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?event_id=30465&cal_suchsector=AL