‘This is the completion of a life aim’

BAD weather may have delayed and frustrated them for several days but Ireland’s alpine skiers Patrick McMillan and Tess Arbez finally got to make their Winter Olympic debuts yesterday.

Clare’s McMillan (26) had a dream bow in the Giant Slalom, finishing 52nd in a time of one minute and 49.98 seconds, just nine seconds slower than the new Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway.

Less than an hour later Arbez improved greatly on her first run to move up six places to finish 50th overall from a field of 79.

‘This feels great,’ said a delighted McMillan. ‘Today I achieved one of my top goals in life, to ski in an Olympic Downhill and finish it and make a lot of people proud. I’m sure everyone at home enjoyed it. My mom and father will be very happy.

‘A little bit more was left on the course,’ he said. ‘The (sunny) conditions probably took a little bit of time off and I lost a little bit of power towards the end.

‘But the boys who won it are all in their mid-30s. They have 10 more years experience than me. I can guarantee that in four or eight years time, when we’re back here again, I’ll also have that experience and make a great result.

‘When you put your mind to it you can do anything,’ he said. ‘Five years ago I said I wanted to become a skier and then go to the Olympics and now I’ve achieved that goal. You should never give up.’

Arbez turned 20 last December and had an impressive debut. She needed to complete the first run to qualify for a second, and with 11 other competitors crashing out, she admitted her legs were shaking in the start-gates as she held her nerve in a time of 1:22.12.

Second time around Arbez was a full four seconds faster, crossing the line in 1:18.12, a huge improvement that jumped her six places to finish in the top 50. ‘Everything is just perfect,’ she beamed. ‘My parents and my family were over shouting for me. I cannot believe it.

‘It was really important to finish to the first run. I could only do the second run if I got down first time so that was really important because I never did the second run in that kind of race before.’