Update From Vancouver
New Zealand’s Skeleton team athletes are now in the Winter Olympics Village in Whistler, Canada, as the Games excitement
mounts.
Tionette Soddard, Ben Sandford and Iain Roberts arrived in Whistler mid-week, and will take part in tomorrow’s opening
ceremony (Saturday, 3pm NZ time).
The skeleton athletes, along with their coaches and support team, have been in nearby Park City in Canada for two weeks
prior to finalising physical preparation and getting equipment ready for the Games, as well as finetuning sliding skills
on the Park City track.
Strength and conditioning coach Angus Ross, from Dunedin, said their last on-ice training on the Park City track saw all
three athletes showing good form and speed. The programme of physical training, of speed and strength/power work, is now
complete, as the three athletes taper the physical load down to freshen up for the Games.
They have three days of official training in Whistler next week, on February 15, 16 and 17, for athletes to try the
skeleton track. Each of the training days will involve two runs down the track, and will give the athletes a chance to
see how the ice has been cut and to finetune the line they want to take down the track.
The Skeleton racing is then at the end of next week, on February 18 and 19.
The athletes:
Tionette Stoddard (Dunedin)
Skeleton Age: 35
Greatest sporting achievement: 7th Skeleton World Cup result in St Moritz.
Tionette’s first skeleton race was in 2004.
She has also been the South Island’s U63kg weightlifting champion in 2006 and 2008, has played women’s rugby and first
competed for New Zealand in the bobsleigh in 2001.
Ben Sandford (Rotorua)
Skeleton Age: 30
Greatest sporting achievement:10th in Skeleton,
2006 Olympic Games Torino Ben first competed for NZ in 2002.
Iain Roberts (Edinburgh)
Skeleton Age: 30
Greatest sporting achievement: Competed at 2008 and 2009 World Championships.
Iain first represented New Zealand in 2004. He is completing a PhD in skeleton and bobsleigh design.
ENDS