Sophie Muir’s story is well told at these Games. The former inline world champion who begun her career on ice just 15 months ago has been thrust into the national, and to some extent international spotlight with her efforts just to make it to Vancouver.
Sophie Muir’s story is well told at these Games. The former inline world champion who begun her career on ice just 15 months ago has been thrust into the national, and to some extent international spotlight with her efforts just to make it to Vancouver.
Her efforts in the 500 metres earlier this week were encouraging – her 29th placing 10 better than her current world ranking and enough of a spark to keep her going for another 4 years.
Muir will contest the 1000 metres at the purpose built Richmond Olympic Centre on Thursday (Vancouver time).
And while the 500 metre format which is split into two races with the combined time determining finishing order, the kilometre version of the event gives racers just one chance.
“It’s just a matter of dealing with whatever comes up during your race,” Muir’s coach Desly Hill said.
“If you get a bad start you have to make amends cause there are no second chances and when you are feeling your legs burning in the last 200 metres you just have to keep going,” she added.
Muir, originally from Sydney but now based in The Netherlands has impressed many international judges with her improvement to date, and also the potential that many a trained eye can see in her work.
Freely admitting that her starts are one area that lets her down, Muir has vowed to keep working until her international placings reflect her own desires.
“My starts are just a matter of spending more time on the ice,” Muir said.
“I’m new to all of this while all of the other girls have been doing this in one form or another for 10 or 20 years,” she added.
Hill is excited about what awaits Muir on the 1000 metre event.
Without putting pressure on her charge, she’s more interested in exactly how close she can get to the superstars of the sport in this blue riband event.
“Sophie has drawn the inside track which is good as she tends to go faster there,” Hill said.
Both Muir and Hill know that whatever happens in the 1000 metres, the plucky racer from the Sutherland Shire in Sydney has made her mark on the greatest stage in sport.
Damian Kelly
AOC Vancouver
