I caught a 7 am shuttle for the most pictureque morning commute I've ever had -- a 2-hour drive from Vancouver to Whistler on the Sea-to-Sky Highway, a winding road that hugs Horseshoe Bay, Howe Sound and Lions Bay, and has amazing views of the snow-covered peaks in almost every direction. After arriving at Whistler Creekside, the next step was a brisk morning ride up the chairlift to the media center located just behind the finish line of the downhill course. Not a bad way to start the day!
Above is the finish of the downhill course, which was pretty icy thanks to the recent weather. It made for a series of wild crashes, including one in which a five-time Olympic medal winner from Sweden flew more than 200 feet in the air before falling backwards and wiping out spectacularly. She ended up sliding across the finish line...
Here's the grandstand behind the finish line with the mountains in the distance.
There were a good number of patriotic fans waiting for the finish, including the bare-chested American and those with oversized USA cowboys hats.
And then there were the Swedes.. I think I have to give them the nod. Because of the face paint, of course...
Since most of the action happens further up the mountain, the crowd eagerly watches the jumbotron next to the seating area. Here they are watching Lindsey's impressive run. I was just in front in the media area.. Even with the most famous "shinjury" in recent history, Lindsey ended up blitzing the field, finishing more than a second better than everyone except US teammate Julia Mancuso, who took the silver.
After the race and award ceremony, Lindsey stopped in the media center for her news conference. I decided I'd slip out a side door and snap a picture as she headed around the back with her husband and coach Thomas.. Needless to say, she was still all smiles..Here's a link to a story I wrote after the event: http://tiny.cc/qkQwZ
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