Page 31 - QARANC Vol 16 No 2 2018

Olympic Dreams –
unfortunately still just dreams ...
I knew going into this season the Olympic Qualification Standard (OQS) would be a hard ask, although I felt not unachievable. Having only first experienced this sport through the Army, for the first time at the age of 24, many luge athletes have had a full career and retired by then. Malcolm Gladwell famously said it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill, in a sport which each run takes roughly one minute; that’s approximately 600,000 runs so I was way behind the curve! I did not let this put me off and gave my all in training, both during the summer and winter. Pre-season training took place in Norway, Germany and South Korea before racing started in November in Igls, Austria.
I have a lot of experience on the Igls track, which is where I first experienced luge during Exercise Racing Ice in 2010. I have also won the Inter-Services Championships and my first British Championships on this track, so had a good feeling about this race. Race day came and I was feeling confident; my tactics were ‘all or nothing’. I could have played it safe and got down with a clean run but slowly; however, I felt if I was to qualify for the games I must give 110% at the start and slide down blind with my head back for more aerodynamics. This was paying off and my split times were on for Olympic qualification. However, I made an error in the second to last corner and came off my sled. I held on for a 50th place finish – losing 20 places and hopes of Olympic qualification in this race. I was gutted.
Winterberg, Germany, was the next race; again, a track where I have had a lot of experience and high hopes. Unfortunately, the weather was against me this week with the track slowing
Army Champions, Guardsman Thompson (1IG), Sergeant Knott (DMG(N))
Team Relay Igls, Innsbruck, Austria
down approximately by one second per 20 sliders, due to warm weather and humidity. With a start number near the back of the pack and an error at the start, with a good run I just couldn’t hit the pace and again missed the OQS.
After Winterberg the team headed to Altenberg. This track is known to be one of the most difficult in the world; it is hidden in the woods in the former East Germany on the Czech border. The course features the most difficult parts from other tracks around the world and it is said to have been made secretly in the 1980s for the East German athletes to train. I was dreading this stop on the tour! However, after a solid three days training and no injuries we later made friends. Race day came, and I knocked 1.5 seconds off my personal best – I was ecstatic but unfortunately still no OQS.
The last two races before Christmas and my final chances to achieve the OQS were in North America. My only previous experience of North American tracks was in 2015 when I broke my leg on my first run in Park City, Utah, so this wasn’t giving me a warm fuzzy feeling! Luckily these races were in Calgary, Canada and Lake Placid, USA. In both
Training week in Pyeong Chang
races I got five runs in which to learn the track and qualify for the race, and when thinking about the 10,000-hour rule, this is no time in which to become a master! After many track walks, watching other athletes train, runs on ‘YouTube’ and visualisation, I’d got the hang of the tracks. I qualified and finished both races with credible times, but Olympic Qualification wasn’t to be.
As I said at the start, Olympic Qualification was a huge ask, but I gave it my all. I can look back knowing that I have tried my very best and I am proud of what I have achieved. I am on an upward trajectory and know I have better performances to come. Since missing out on the Olympic team I have finished the World Cup circuit and competed in the Army, Combined Services and British Championships, where I placed first.
Watch this space; I am still as driven as ever and haven’t given up yet. I’d like to thank everyone for their support but especially my unit (DMG(North)), the Army Medical Services and the Army; without their support I wouldn’t have the chance to chase my dreams.
Sergeant Dani Knott QARANC DMG (N)
THE GAZETTE QARANC 29
Outrun – Altenberg, Germany