| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Irish team is all about firsts — and going for the gold
By Amy Joi Bryson
Deseret News staff writer
They've never won a winter Olympic medal and never received any financial support or recognition from their own government.
But Ireland's athletes competing in the 2002 Winter Games aren't a group that is about nevers.
They're all about firsts.
"There's only one reason we're here, and that's the gold," bobsled pilot Peter Donohue said. "We probably won't get it, but that's not important. What is important is that we came for it. We are a country with a long tradition of taking risks."
The firsts are big for the Ireland team this year.
The Games in Salt Lake City is the first time Ireland has sent a contingent this big — six men and one woman.
It's also the first time a woman representing Ireland has competed in any Winter Olympic Games, a feat that rests on the shoulders of skier Tamsen McGarry, who celebrated her 20th birthday four days into the Olympics.
"Part of the reason we're here is to make people realize what we have been able to accomplish and to build on that," McGarry said.
McGarry is used to being a trailblazer.
She first strapped on skis at the age of 20 months, qualified for her first national competition at 11 and captured Ireland's first international medal at the Small European Nations Cup when she won the silver at age 14. On Wednesday and Friday, she'll compete on the slalom and giant slalom courses at Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort.
With its highest mountain peak at 3,415 feet, McGarry and the others concede Ireland isn't exactly famous for its alpine winter sports culture.
Although Ireland's government does throw money at athletes who compete in the Summer Olympics, the support is nil for Winter Olympic athletes.
That led the Irish Olympic Committee President Pat Hickey to launch a verbal attack on Ireland's government once he got to Salt Lake City, especially after Utahns with Irish ties learned of the inequity and offered to raise money locally for the next round of Games in 2006 in Torino, Italy.
"We're not a major winter sports country — there's no snow and no mountains," Hickey said. "Despite that, these athletes are big heroes. They've qualified to compete against all odds and have had to dig deep, deep into their own pockets to get here."
Hickey addressed a packed room of people at a banquet and reception thrown for the Irish delegation and athletes by the Hibernian Society of Utah on Tuesday.
Founding president John Welsh said even if Ireland doesn't capture any medals, it is intent on epitomizing the great competitive spirit of the Games. "Every trip down the hill is a learning experience. We can place 35th out of 35th, and not be put off by it. You race for the love of sport, but also for love of country."
Clifton Wrottesley will compete in the skeleton on Wednesday and is already celebrating the achievement.
"We have seven people in five different sports and we've done that by only being involved the last 10 years in three Winter Olympics. That's a fantastic achievement. Who knows what we can do from there?" Wrottesley said.
Ireland's fledgling experience at Winter Olympics means athletes train and compete elsewhere.
McGarry's parents are ski instructors on the slopes of Switzerland and she trains in France.
Although well-traveled in Europe and hyped to be competing this year, McGarry said her most cherished Olympic experience so far was found in the tiny hamlet of Fruits Heights in Davis County.
Fruit Heights adopted Ireland as its Olympic country and threw a big party Feb. 9 for the athletes and declared that day for the Irish Olympic Team. The flag of Ireland will continue to fly at City Hall until the conclusion of the Games.
"They made us feel so good and so welcome," McGarry said. "I was surrounded by little girls who wanted my autograph and it was almost surreal. It was strange, why would they want mine? I will not win the race, but they said it was enough that we were here, and we were good enough for them."
As the Olympics inch closer to ending, the firsts are continuing for the Irish team, even though the numbers may not match up.
On Sunday, Donohue and brakeman Paul Kiernan placed 26th in the two-man bobsled competition. It was the first time the Ireland guys have placed that high in bobsled, beating their overall standing of 35th at Nagano in 1998.
Ireland's team, like so many others, has thrown down a lot of time and expense to get to Salt Lake City. Team members acknowledge that a medal may be a long shot, but they haven't given up hope.
Their supporters aren't bashful about asking for an extra nudge by invoking divine intervention.
After giving a long list of praise and thanks during the opening prayer at the Hibernian banquet, former president Father Patrick F. Carley resorted to this plea:
"And Lord, if it isn't too much ask, just a few gold medals."
E-MAIL: amyjoi@desnews.com
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February 18, 2002
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