Toughened up Christie aims to become a heroine

AFTER enduring the pain of triple disqualification in Sochi and subsequent social media death threats, speed skater Elise Christie is overdue the kind of heroine status which will come with making Winter Olympic history in Pyeongchang.

Livingston’s Christie will start her latest quest on the first full day of the Games on Saturday in the 500m heats, the same distance in which a final crash four years ago also cost Korean favourite Park Seung-Hi and led to some unpleasant attention.

In the wake of Sochi, Christie was barely able to contemplate t he prospect of a Games in South Korea, a nation for which short-track is the nearest thing to a national sport, whose hero-worshipped stars have yielded 42 of the nation’s 53 Winter Olympic medals.

However, it is clear 27-year-old Christie has been hardened by the experience, adopting a new win-orbust mentality which won her three gold medals at last year’s World Championships, and even the adulation of some of those she feared were i ntent on making her life difficult.

She said: “The only reason I might get negative stuff now is if I’m challenging one of the host country’s skaters. If I’m not racing one of their skaters I’m the favourite.

“They really cheer me on and it’s nice to be there.

“Short-track is classed as a national sport in Korea. It’s like a whole different world.

“There will be hundreds of people trying to grab you and throw gifts at you.

“I’ve had socks and teddy bears, and sometimes they give you mugs that have pictures of you on them. It’s a bit surreal — but it’s nice.”