Far too high a price to pay

They say it's not the winning but the taking part that counts.

I'm guessing those that live by the prophecy are not Olympic athletes, lacking the necessary single minded devotion to being the best that sustains through hours, days and months of training.

Yesterday a young man, Nodar Kumaritashvili, leapt on a tea tray and raced down an ice tube for one last practice. Tragically, a minute error towards the end of the course resulted in a freak accident in which Nodar lost his life.

It seems barely credible that it is possible to fall out of the luge course, let alone that there would be steel posts with no soft protection so close to the edge, yet these are the factors causing such a devastating consequence.

One man, striving for an Olympic dream, lost everything.

Olympic dreams

Mr P and I were entertained last night by the trials and tribulations of the Jamaican bobsled team at the Calgary Games. I love a good story and this has all the necessary elements of a fairly ridiculous idea with an inevitably but nonetheless enjoyable happy(ish) ending.

I am now considering an entry for the 2012 Olympics and wonder which sport I would display astounding natural talent in. Any ideas?