Libby Ludlow 'tough as nails'
Thumbing you a report on my Blackberry from beautiful San Secario Fraiteve. Only it's not so beautiful today. Bitter cold and snowing up a storm, zero stunning alpine vistas in evidence. An hour and a half before the start of the women's Super-G event (which will likely be postponed due to weather) the stands are already filling up with dancing, singing, flag-waving, sign-carrying ski fans and members of athletes' families. What snow? What wind? These people are lit from within by the Olympic glow and maybe in a few cases by the local herbal liquer, Genepe.
It's my first chance to bust out of Torino abd get into the mountain venues for an event. Bellevue native and Crystal Mountain Alpine Club product Libby Ludlow skis her only event and we'll be here to talk with her at the finish line...
She is a remarkable athlete who has gone through years of knee injuries and rehab and "you'll never ski again" lectures from the medicos. And here she is at the Olympics. Can she win? Probably not. That would be a resounding shock for the alpine skiing world. But she is tough as nails and has had some very good results this World Cup season. She is undersized for her sport with most of the girls on the hill with her weighing 20-40 pounds more than she does. She has to make up for that by skiing technically pure races and she says nasty weather and rough course conditions work to her advantage. We'll see.
The media center is nice and warm but its time to go check out the blizzard. Somewhere in some snow bank I may find John and Merrily Ludlow or maybe even Redmond's Scott Macartney, who finished a very credible 7th in his final Olympic event yesterday. He and Libby are longtime skiing pals and he should be here watching her Super-G.
Suiting up now . If you don't hear from me soon send the Saint Bernards..