Scot Christie guns for gold after fall and death threats hell of Sochi
MEDAL TARGET
ELISE CHRISTIE went for broke in Sochi four years ago but saw her Olympic dreams torn to shreds. And the Scot’s tears flowed as the TV cameras looked on. But the speed skating star admits she has no fears about living on the edge as she prepares to hunt gold at the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Short track isn’t a sport for the fainthearted. Thrills and spills are part of the job. In 2014, Christie was tipped for a medal hat-trick but suffered two disqualifications and one massive crash as her chances skidded to a halt. Death threats arrived from the cyber bullies when she was blamed by South Koreans for bundling over their heroine Park Seung-Hi. Dealing with the trauma sent her to a psychologist and Christie said: “It’s something I definitely struggled with. “I don’t know when I first started to win medals – at least seven, eight years ago–but when I started winning medals, if something went wrong like a fall or slip, it devastated me. “I would be able to get back on the ice and race okay but I’d just be so disappointed. “Idon’tknowhowmany World Championships I missed out on the podium because someone took me out or I was targeted by another team. It’s just something you have to accept.” That doesn’t means she’ll settle for being second-best in Pyeongchang, starting with the 500 metres on Saturday and the 1000 and 1500m later in the Games. Two individual world titles in Rotterdam last year have Livingston’s Christie ready to re-write history. She said: “It’s something that’s gone through my mind a lot since Sochi. “I could have sat in third place and picked up a bronze medal but would I have been happy with that? “My life might have changed because I’m a bronze medallist at a Winter Games but it wouldn’t have changed my feelings on it. Maybe outside, people would have had a different opinion of me but I wouldn’t have had a different opinion of myself. “I’m not saying I’m going to go and win a gold medal but that’s definitely going to be my intention. “If I get a penalty on the last lap passing into first place then so be it. I’ve not trained this hard not to give myself that opportunity.” It could all go wrong again. But life’s knocks have hardened Christie’s resolve and she added: “I always talk about wanting to be known for who I am rather than the bullied girl. “So if it was to happen, I’d just want people to know who I really am, not remember me for that.”