Bobsleigh: Women gear up for bob virtual reality

Whistler (AFP) - Defending champion and multiple World Cup winner Sandra Kiriasis will seek to add to her trophy cabinet from Tuesday in the women's bob, but compatriot Cathleen Martini is out to deny her.

Tuesday sees heats one and two prior to Wednesday's medal races and Kiriasis, Martini and US 2006 silver medallist Shauna Rohbock will all be in the mix - as will this season's world silver medalist Kaillie Humphries, who will be out to give Canada's women a first Olympic medal at the event.

Another home hope, Kuwait-born Helen Upperton, is also desperate for a podium placing after she just missed bronze by 0.05sec four years ago.

Rohbock won the test event last February while USA 2's Erin Pac managed a couple of bronze World Cup finishes during the season.

USA 3's Bree Schaaf, who has switched from skeleton, has also landed top-10 World Cup finishes.

Meanwhile, it's virtual reality time for the Belgians, whose Eva Willemarck and Elfje Willemensen only took up the sport two years ago.

A Belgian TV production company, Canvas, decided a Belgian team would be a great idea and brakewoman Willemarck and pilot Willemensen answered the call for candidates.

"They were searching for athletes who wanted to try something new - Bobsleigh," said Willemarck. "A television programme also evolved. We all entered and got some selection tests and now we're at the Olympics."

To begin with, recalls Willemsen, "I wanted to jump out at curve seven."

But they both got used to it.

Regarding the TV crew, "they don't follow us," says Willemarck. "It's not Big Brother."

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Bobsleigh
• Women
• gear
• up
• for
• bob
• virtual
• reality
• SANDRA
• Kiriasis
• vancouver
• 2010