Konigssee, European Championships & The Last World Cup

Last Race - Konigssee, Germany

When:       This Friday - January 24, 2014 (Late Thursday night MST)
Where:     Konigssee, Germany
Time:        1:04 a.m. & 2:34 a.m. MST, Heat Start Times
Start #:     Noelle is off 2nd.
Length:   1250 Meters, 30 meters longer than Igls, but more technical.
Watch Online:      If video is not available click here for live race times.
                                     YouTube Videos:    No video yet: http://www.youtube.com/user/bobskeletv
                                         

Insider Info

Noelle Pikus-Pace has had a slightly rough week with her Grandpa passing away. Comments directed to other things and or looking forward to the Olympics are recommended. Thank you all for your support and dedicated fanship!! Speaking of which, her Mountain Crane groupies and brother just arrived this evening with another surprise visit. What die-hard fans! :) Look for the Big Heads!!!

The Track last year at night. This year is a 9 a.m. local time race. Neat track though!!!

Noelle officially qualified for the Olympics in which we will fly out to Sochi next Thursday with the team. Yipeeeeee!!!! We can't believe it is finally here.

Here are Noelle's past results here in Konigssee and the competitors to look out for in the race:

2006: Noelle Pikus-Pace 5th Place (2nd race after the Broken leg)
2007: Noelle Pikus-Pace 3rd Place
2009: Noelle Pikus-Pace 9th Place
2010: Noelle Pikus-Pace 6th Place
2013: Noelle Pikus-Pace 1st Place (Noelle's 1st win back since 2007 World Championships)

Competitors to look out for:

Marion Thees - GER
Anja Huber - GER
Katie Uhleander - USA
Lizzy Yarnold - GBR

Calgary Race Day & Crooked Backs!

1st World Cup Race - Women's Skeleton

Where:  Calgary, Alberta Canada
When:  Friday, November 29, 2013 (Day after thanksgiving, opponents trying to slow the US down)
Time:  1:15 p.m. MST - Heat 1, 3:30 p.m. MST - Heat 2
Watch:  Click Link Above "Live Race Online"

 Noelle threw her back out on Saturday stopping her sled.  She has 3 herniated discs that keep acting up.  She has been resting and working to back healthy for race day. (She's not faking the crooked back, if she is, she has me fooled and she is going to pay for it! :) If all else fails, she will be able to at least lay on her sled to finish the race, but we're hoping for better.

 This is the view the Racers have from the start of the Calgary track.

 Lacee doing what she loves to do on the Water slide! We have swim lessons everyday.

Just an idea on how to entertain your kids while grocery shopping.  I didn't recommend this, Traycen just started doing it on his own.

Skeleton Olympic Qualification Process

Skeleton Olympic Qualifying Process of Events:

I will quickly describe below how the process goes for naming the Olympic Skeleton Team.  It might get confusing, so click here for a document that shows the number of athletes that qualify for this years World Cup circuit.  (Each number shown is the rank of the athlete from that nation).  This many athletes do not get to compete in the Olympics.

• Compete in US Team Trials
• Compete in a series of World Cup races where points are totaled to qualify for the Olympics.
• The last race, where points are totaled and the Olympic team is named, takes place in Igls, Austria on 1/18/2014.
• Noelles Overall FIBT Rank determines whether or not she makes the team.  If she is the #1 US athlete she automatically qualifies. If she is the #2 US athlete she needs to be ranked higher than the #2 athlete from the 6th nation with a 2nd ranked athlete.
• From the information I have so far these are the athletes that can compete in the Olympics:
• 2 Nations get 3 athletes
• 4 Nations get 2 athletes
• 2-6 Nations get 1 athlete (not sure yet?)

Training Days

This week has been focused on testing out runners and sleds.  It has been really warm here and difficult conditions for optimum sliding.  We are excited for the next couple of days of sliding prior to the races on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

I am not sure if this will work but you can try it out the next 2 mornings.  This video is supposed to be live on the track.  You might be able to watch some training runs if your bored from 6:00-8:00 a.m. MST
Training Runs Video????
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/usalugelive

Live Race Feed for Team Trials!!!  This is new this year and should provide some awesome coverage for those not able to attend the races.  Below is the link for the Live Feed to view online.

http://www.teamusa.org/~/link.aspx?_id=A4C5A275637C4FD3A1BFF642A2F1E6F4&_z=z

Lake Placid, NY Races:  Oct. 21 & 22 from 6:00 a.m. to 9 a.m. MST

Park City, UT Races:  Oct. 29 & 30 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

World Champions Team USA1!!

Noelle and Team USA1 are World Champions!!!

The team event consists of 1 run from each of 4 disciplines.  

1. Men's Skeleton
2. Women's Bobsleigh
3. Women's Skeleton
4. Mens' Bobsleigh

The times from the 4 runs are added together consecutively to give the current rank.  Team USA1 was in 4th place going into Noelle's run.  Noelle had an impressive PR push and beat the women's skeleton field in style with the closest contender .84 seconds behind her, moving team USA1 into 1st place.  Men's bobsleigh was last to go where Holcomb held onto the lead to name USA1 World Champions, giving them the gold medal in the team event!  Check below to watch the highlight video of the race.  Go Noelle!  Go USA!!

From left to right:  Curtis Tomasevicz, Steven Holcomb, Noelle Pikus-Pace, Elana Meyers, Lolo Jones and John Daly.

Noelle Pikus-Pace heading into her track record run at the World Championship team event. 

Our family with bobsledders Jazmine Fenlator and Aja Evans.

Team USA1 on the podium with the World Championship Cup!

Ohhhhhh say can you see!!!!

Once again team USA1: Steven Holcomb, Noelle Pikus-Pace, John Daly, Elana Meyers, Curtis Tomasevicz and Lolo Jones.

Can't get enough of USA1: Steven Holcomb, John Daly,  Elana Meyers, Noelle Pikus-Pace, Curtis Tomasevicz and Lolo Jones.

This was a great moment after the race.  The track starts in St. Moritz and ends in Celerina.  This is considered the top of the world!

Go USA!

Handcrafted ice hut at the top of the track.  This is the only track in the world that is a natural track.  That means there is no artificial freezing, it is all done by mother nature.  The track is also hand built each year which makes it very unique.

Elana Meyers and Lolo Jones loading into the sled at the start of their team run.

Noelle and her coach "Tuffy" at the start.

Igls & The Hunt For $100k Euros!

Igls or Eagles?  We say it the same.  Noelle has always done well here on this track.  It was her 2nd Gold medal back in the 2004/2005 World Cup season and now with her newly found push we were pulling for a good finish.  She did very well and we were really pleased with her Silver Medal finish!

Triple Trophy

The FIBT initiated the Triple Trophy, starting this year, with a prize of $100k in Euros to the slider/sliders that win Gold in 3 tracks: Konigssee, Igls and Sochi.  Although money has never been the reason Noelle has competed, it somehow seemed to subconsciously add a little pressure.  $100k would have been nice, but with that pressure now gone, she will be able to compete in the next 2 races without the unnecessary pressure of having to win.

I will keep the blog up to date this week.  If you sign up for "Follow by email" on the blog you will be notified as soon as I update the blog with the changes and other important info.

Here is the update for the next 1-1/2 weeks for World Championships in St. Moritz.

Team Race
Sunday, January 27th at 5:35 a.m. MST
Noelle will race in the Team Event.  She has been named to team USA 1.  Here is the current link to watch this event live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMZtVcyPKpw&feature=g-user-lss

World Championships Women's Skeleton
Thursday, January 31st and Friday, February 1st
I will update the blog with further info toward the end of this week with times and links.

Here are some pics of our week in Igls, Austria:

Noelle Pikus Pace doing a little celebration slide down the hill with her trophy!

The kids on World Cup race day at the track. 

Lacee was making snow angels just about anywhere there was snow; from parking lots to hillsides and here at the bottom of the track. 

 Noelle after her first run.  She finished run 1 in 2nd place behind russia.

 Noelle and the 2 Russians who placed 1st and 3rd.

Here is our little slider.  She loves putting on mommies suit and gear and racing down the hill.  She took first here as we were cheering her on! :) 

 Noelle Pikus Pace holding her 2nd place trophy at the awards ceremony which took place about 4 hours after the race.  They didn't give any medals here only the trophy.

 Here we are after awards.  The kids love playing in the snow.  It is extremely nice when it is cold enough for them to play in the snow without it melting all over them.  This is the 1st race where it has been cold enough for the snow not to melt everywhere.

 

Noelle and the kids getting ready to take their victory slide down the hill at the awards ceremony. 

Once again, our little champion all suited up ready to compete!

Igls, Austria World Cup Race

This weeks race is her in lovely Igls, Austria near Innsbruck.  The race is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. here for us so that makes it an early morning race for the die hard watchers!  She will also be competing in a team event on Saturday about 7:30 a.m. MST.  I will update this closer to the race if it changes.

Igls Race Day

Friday January 18, 2013

1:00 a.m. MST

https://www.youtube.com/user/bobskeletv

Look for the live event and remember there is heat 1 & heat 2 about 1hr 30 min apart.

Team Race

Saturday January 19, 2013

7:30 a.m. MST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJVJjhG_gH0&feature=g-high-lss

This is a one heat race for 4 disciplines.  They total the times of each racer to give the team a final time.  So there will be only 1 run from the following:
Men's skeleton
Women's bobsled
Women's skeleton
Men's bobsled

Konigssee: Mining for Gold!

NOELLE WINS GOLD!

At the base of the track there is lake Konigssee, which is at the base of the eagle's nest (Hitler's diplomatic home).  They have mined the tall mountains surrounding this area for emeralds and salt.  Little did we know we would find Gold!  Not a lot of it, but enough for Team Pikus Pace!

This is a track that Noelle loves and gets along with really well.  She has always done fairly well here.  Even on her broken leg, this was her 2nd race back from the accident, she placed fifth.  Noelle had been caring for a partially torn hamstring and had only taken 2 paid training runs and 2 official training runs (compared to the others who took 8 total runs).

 Noelle after her first Gold Medal Finish since 2004!

 We found a church in Munich on our way to Konigssee.  Those happen to be our church clothes that day.  It's kinda hard living out of a suitcase.

 This is a weird sculpture right in front of Mozart's house in Salzburg, Austria.

 Cute red braids, but I don't think she would have worn it ever.  We had to see what our viking child would look like.

 Me and the kids built this train track in our hotel while Noelle was preparing her equipment for the race.

 Not to bad for a family photo, with everyone on the go doing their own thing!

 Lacee was hanging out with Martin, Noelle's old coach who is now coaching Austria (where he is from).

 I put the kids in a little prison so I could take some pics.  They have these bleachers set up with one entrance from the back.  Not bad for free babysitting.

Capri Sonne from Germany.  Traycen has to do everything Lacee does.  He loves his sister.

Traycen is not going to like this picture when he's 16.

 This is an exclusive pic thanks to our camera.  Noelle Pikus Pace holding her medal and trophy.

Now that's a family picture!  We had a blast and the kids were soaked to the bone.  We set off for a 4 hour drive right after this to St. Moritz (World Championships in 2 weeks) to get some training runs in before the next race in Igls, Austria.

The Altenberg Curse is Broken!!!!!

WELCOME BACK TO TEAMPIKUSPACE SKELETON

The Curse:  Noelle has been to Altenberg about 5-6 times.  Her first couple of finishes were 13th and 11th and her last 3 or 4 races here she finished 9th and could not break the 9th place curse.  Her last time here we thought for sure she had it broken.  She completed the first run in 7th place, but right before timer beeped for her to push her helmet fogged up and there was nothing she could do about it.  So she went down one of the most difficult tracks in the world "blind folded" and finished 9th overall.

The Cure:  This time she was bound to break that curse and finish anywhere better than 9th, but we definitely did not expect a podium finish!  Under rainy conditions she pulled it out and moved up from 4th place into 3rd place to claim the bronze!

Noelle has been on the podium on all 3 German tracks this year and she has beaten her Push Record on every track but this one, where she tied it.  Way to go Noelle!!!

Noelle came from behind in 4th place and moved up to claim Bronze to break "The Altenberg Curse"!  It was extremely wet.  The kids fell asleep in the stroller, where I had them covered up and bundled under a rain cover on the stroller.

Lacee made some new friends on the Canadian bobsled team.  You can see in the pic below, she is on the very end talking to Neville.  She also befriended Emily Baadsvik, who painted her nails in this picture above. Lacee went to her room to get her nails done the night before the race.  Emily brought her back 30 min later asleep in her arms with her nails all done.  Thanks Emily.

 The day we arrived lacee climbed onto this snowbank in front of our car and fell through.  It was so warm and rainy there, that by the end of the week this snow bank was down to 10 in tall.

 Noelle doing her sprint workouts in front of our hotel.  Noelle has a new sprint coach and he has built in some workouts that she can do on the go that are helping to maintain and increase her push leading up to World Championships.  Her training has been offset a little with a tweaked back and a strained hamstring.

 Noelle found a few walls on this track.  Something she has not done in a really, really long time.  Even I never hit the wall on my way down this track! :)  The trainer applied some of this tape to help heal the bruise.

 The top 6 on the podium with their "cream sodas".  There is always some lucky person around that gets a large free drink.  For some reason 2 of the 3 German tracks are sponsored largely by beer companies.  They also give out a large 1 gallon drum.  Crazy people!

Konigssee Race Update

The next race is in Konigssee, Germany.  It will take place tomorrow evening for us, but 9:15 a.m. MST for all you back home in Utah.  Noelle has an injured hamstring right now, so we are hoping that she will be able to push her best.  She loves this track and knows it well.  We are hoping for a good race.

Konigssee Race Day

Friday January 11, 2013

9:15 a.m. MST

https://www.youtube.com/user/bobskeletv

Look for the live event and remember there is heat 1 & heat 2 about 1hr 30 min apart.

Altenberg World Cup Race - Friday at 5:30 a.m. MST

ALTENBERG WORLD CUP RACE - FRIDAY, JANUARY 4TH @ 5:35 & 7:05 A.M. MST

I have just received an update that the race will begin tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m. MST.  It can be viewed live at the following links.

Run #1: 5:30 a.m. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydjwss2MgKc&list=LEkr7c8lwpup_LfDV7hOQWsgU

Run #2: 7:05 a.m. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBOk0BdLB1o&list=LEkr7c8lwpup_LfDV7hOQWsgU

If, by chance, the links above do not work go to this link:  http://www.youtube.com/user/bobskeletv?feature=watch and find the live event which should be skeleton at the times listed above.

Thanks for your support and good luck viewing!

La Plagne & the French Alps

We're still alive!!  Sorry for the long delay in updating the blog, I will make sure to keep you all informed more frequently.  There was a slight change to our plans for the La Plagne race.  We were told that another athlete would be coming out to race to try and earn points for a 3rd spot in World Championships at the end of January.  It was definitely difficult for Noelle to go there and forerun knowing she would not be racing.  She was sliding very well there, but she at least got some experience there for the World Cup race next year.  I learned that there are some of you who woke up earlier in the morning to watch the race and did not know that Noelle had been replaced.  I am sorry for that, I didn't realize that there were more than a few "Die Hard Fans".  That was her first time down that track.  It was very bumpy and painful on the neck and head.

Enjoy the pics below of our journey from Winterberg, Germany through La Plagne, France.

 We found a Burger King along our drive just before leaving Germany.

We were able to stop in Bern, Switzerland and stop outside the temple.  It was really pretty with all of the snow.  It was a 30 min detour to stop by on our 10 hour drive to France.  Because of the long drive we were unable to find a church, so it worked out perfect that we were at least able to find the Temple.  (FYI, Switzerland charges about $50 just to drive your car in their country, it is good for 1 year though).

Bern, Switzerland Temple.

This was the amazing view from our room in La Plagne.

The kids found something to do.  They don't stop!  Traycen is on a mission to destroy everything.  He'll just walk around pulling things down and making sure he leaves his trail.

This is Noelle at the start of the La Plagne track, with her coach Tuffy filming her push.

 The kids found this little ramp right next to the track that kept them busy sliding, throwing snowballs and making mini snowmen.

 There are many hotels in La Plagne, probably one of the most insane villages I have seen.  It is all crowded up in the top of the alps, how they built everything up there, amazes me.  We had all of our meals covered in the hotel restaurant.  The kids definitely were dined on the best they will ever get.  This is a pic of a fancy desert after lunch.

 Another picture of us at dinner with some of the team in the background.  Lacee and Traycen entertained everyone.  Traycen would only eat the inside of the bread out.  The outside was a little tough so he hollowed about 15 pieces each meal.

 For some reason Lacee likes playing "jail and dungeons".  They were locked up temporarily.

We stopped into a neat old town "Moutiers" which was about 30 minutes away.