ON THE SKIDS
GB’s second-rate kit gave my Laura no hope, blasts dad
THE father of Laura Deas gave British Skeleton bosses a real bone-rattling blast after seeing his daughter’s China dream shattered.
Olympic medalist Deas came to Beijing looking to improve on her 2018 bronze, but finished so far down the field she only just qualified for the final run.
The Welsh slider ended up in 19th place at a bitterly cold Yanqing National Sliding Centre, three places ahead of GB teammate Brogan Crowley.
And with the British men also performing below their own expectation, fingers were soon being pointed at the quality of kit provided to the team from out of £6.42million of UK Sport funding. “It’s on you, British Skeleton” said Ewen Deas after seeing a tearful Laura interviewed halfway through her competition.
“The athletes are doing their best, they are starting well, they are sliding well.”
But he added: “The speed is being haemorrhaged by the kit. Laura’s interview is heartbreaking, not happy viewing if you’re a British Skeleton slider.”
Deas finished nearly four seconds behind German winner Hannah Niese and stopped short of saying she would continue to the Milan Games in 2026.
“I really do not know at this point, this isn’t an ending I would have hoped for,” Deas said.
“The outcome is clearly a long way from what I want and expect – it’s frustrating for me personally because I know I’m capable of so much more.
“It has been an emotionally tough 24 hours.
“No one comes to the Olympics, especially a previous medalist, to finish 19th. Nobody works this hard for four years to do that.
“So of course I’m disappointed. The speed that I so desperately want is not there and there’s nothing I can do about it. But I am not a quitter.
“I’ll go away and reflect and see how I feel when the dust settles.”
Deas, 33, was reared on a diet of British skeleton success after seven medals for British sliders in the last five Olympics, including every GB gold won after 2002.
She had seen Amy Williams win gold in Vancouver, Lizzy Yarnold do the same in Sochi and was a team-mate when Yarnold retained her title in Pyeongchang.
So the feeling she had last night was not dissimilar to how the Men’s Four felt in Tokyo last summer when their boat sunk a 20-year run of British rowing dominance. The difference here was the equipment let these athletes down, not the ability.
“I have no doubt that in four years’ time we will be back on that medal rostrum,” said Deas. “I am sure this is a blip.”
Britain’s quest for that elusive first medal of these Games now turns to Brad Hall, Greg Cackett and their two-man bob.
Yesterday they posted the second quickest time in official practise and were satisfied enough not to take their second run.