Olympic Slalom

Last night's Olympic slalom was an event I will remember forever, and an experience I will always look back on fondly. I have a lot to be proud of in making it to that point, and I am happy with the way I raced even though the end result was a little less than I had ultimately hoped for.

My first run was pretty good, especially in the middle section, and it left me in 15th place - only 1.3 seconds out. With that run under my belt, and some of the nerves out of my system, I felt I could ski even better in the 2nd run and have an outside shot at challenging the leaders.

Unfortunately though, I was unable to will a great performance. The 2nd run course set proved too difficult for me, and I moved back to 18th in the final stanings.

The result was especially surprising to me because I was so caught up in the moment that it never occured to me that the course did not suit my skiing style until many people confirmed it to me afterwards. The Croatian coach had set it to favor Ivica Kostelic, incorporating some crazy combinations - an "H" gate even - with a lot of speed the whole way down.

If I've learned anything over the years, it's that I tend to do better on courses with bigger turns, so in hindsight the outcome isn't too out of the ordinary. And while I was somewhat disappointed, that feeling is fading fast as I think back on the awesome experience of taking part in my third Olympics. In the true spirit of the Games, far beyond the medal counting, I feel that I honestly put forth my best effort and gave my race everything I had. For that I have a great deal to be proud of!