With six Irish athletes competing in four events at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, this handy guide will see you from the starter’s gun to the finishing post
FEMALE TWO-MAN BOBSLEIGH, FEB 23-24
Know your sport:It is said that bobsledding was invented by, of all people, the English – or, at least, a group of bored English tourists on a trip to Switzerland in the late 1800s – when two sleds were joined together. A steering mechanism followed. The first track was built in 1902. Sleds were wooden at first, and later steel, and are called bobsleds because the crews bob around a bit. In two-man, the driver goes in first, the brakeman stops the thing at the end. The Swiss have dominated the sport over the decades.
How to recognise it:Formula One on giant ice skates.
You're cheering for:Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin who faced challenges, first from Australia and then Brazil, over who had the right to participate, causing a fuss over bobsleigh normally reserved for soccer, GAA and Fine Gael. The pair, both with athletics backgrounds, have competed well this year and their training included pushing a dry sled across Santry running track. "It doesn't look pretty, but it does the job," says Hoey.
Sound smart:"That cowling rocked a bit as they hit the belly. Hope they've got a grip on those D-rings."
Sound dumb:"I once saw a great documentary about the year the Jamaicans won. Wasn't John Candy on the team?"
SLALOM, FEB 20-27
Know your sport: It's the dizzying one where skiers go around "gates" and incur a penalty whenever they don't. Though a more technical sport than downhill skiing, high speeds are still reached in slalom skiing.
Giant slalom is faster than slalom, but not as fast as super giant slalom (Super G), because the distance between gates differs between each discipline.
The length of the skis also varies.
How to recognise it:Downhill skiers who look like they've a grudge against flags.
You're cheering for:Kirsty McGarry is in the Giant Slalom and Super G events, having learned to ski in France before she was two years old and represented Ireland in the 2006 Olympics. Malahide man Shane O'Connor goes in the Slalom. He finished in the top 50 at the World Championships, an Irish best.
Sound smart:"It's a fine line between a good carve and catching an edge. Get it wrong and it's disastrous."
Sound dumb: "Why does she go around the flags? Wouldn't it be quicker to go through them?"
SKELETON, FEB 18-19
Know your sport: This is the one that almost brought Ireland Olympic glory in 2002, when Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon, 6th Baron of Wrottersley (or simply Clifton Wrottersley), finished fourth. The sport had returned to the Olympics after a 50-year absence, and involves someone throwing themselves head first down a 1,500 metre track. It is unbelievably foolish, but great to watch.
How to recognise it:People hurtling themselves down a twisty track on a small tea tray.
You're cheering for:Pat Shannon. The Wexford man represented Ireland in the triple jump and has been competing in skeleton events since 2003 and although his best finish is 23rd in a World Cup event he says his preparations are going well and that "anything can happen".
Sound smart: "He's a great slider. When he settles on to the pod, just watch him go."
Sound dumb:"I did that after a couple of pints during the January snow and nobody gave me an Olympic medal."
15KM CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING, FEB 15
Know your sport: Part of the Nordic skiing family, it involves an up-and-down route that requires great endurance combined with technique and speed. Throw in a rifle and you've got yourself a biathlon.
How to recognise it: Not exactly television gold, it's the event that is to skiing what the walk is to athletics.
You're cheering for:PJ Barron, a Scot who declared for Ireland through the parentage rule (he raced for Britain until March 2008) and was picked ahead of Irish Olympic rower turned cross-country skier Paul Griffin. He previously advertised for funding through a YouTube video showing him training on tarmac and rollerskis as well as on snow.
Sound smart:"The Czech is doing well, but the legendary Bjorn Daehlie would have destroyed him. As you are no doubt aware, the Norwegian won 12 Olympic medals between 1992-98."
Sound dumb:"There must be a chairlift nearby that will get them where they want to be."
