The Ability to Forgo an Ordinary Night's Sleep

AS CHEF DE MISSION for Team GB here in Vancouver, I’m discovering that there is one pursuit, above all, at which you need to excel. And that is an ability to forgo an ordinary night's sleep.

Since the Games started, there has barely been a moment to draw breath. The Opening Ceremony required a great deal of logistical planning for us, but was a wonderful experience for Team GB and all of the participants.  And of course, the opportunity to see our athletes in action has been precious.

But I’ve also been involved in many meetings with the Olympic family, with our partners, with sporting bodies and political leaders. We have had some high-profile visitors, including Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, who is the President of the British Olympic Association.

I helped to accompany the Princess during her visits to our villages in both Vancouver and Whistler and it was a real pleasure to have her taking out a lot of time to support Team GB.

As you know, our aim has been to give our athletes the backing to achieve a “personal best” performance out here in Canada. So far, results have been really encouraging. Lee Jackson became the first British biathlete to qualify for the pursuit, young Andrew Musgrave recording a hugely encouraging 55th place in the cross country while AJ Rosen’s 16th place in the luge was a great achievement from an athlete who was so badly injured in an accident four months ago that he could barely walk.

Of course, the luge competition was overshadowed by the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili  in training. As part of the Olympic family, we shared the sense of shock and great sadness that a young athlete should tragically lose his life taking part in the sport he loved.

At times like that, we look to the IOC and to the International sporting federations for guidance and advice. We, of course, are not experts in track design and it’s not up to us to draw conclusions about whether or not a track is safe enough. All we can do is look to them for guidance.

The International Luge Federation analysed this tragic accident, and came to the conclusion that it was safe for the event to continue, and so we – along with all the other participating nations – abided by that decision. I know they had a lot to do in a short space of time, but in the end they gave us clear leadership and direction, and that’s what we all needed.

What really impressed me was the attitude of the luge athletes, including AJ. They said they wanted to continue the competition in memory of Nodar Kumaritashvili, and that’s just what they did. I have a huge respect for all the athletes here, but that was particularly poignant and moving.