Alex still has gold on her mind

Ian Chadband13 April 2012

Alex Coomber may give up full-time sledding after winning her Olympic bronze - but still has her sights set on gold at the 2006 Games in Turin.

The 28-year-old from Shepton Mallet revealed she plans to discuss a return to her job as an intelligence officer with her superiors at the RAF.

"Over the last two years when I've been almost full-time thanks to the sabbatical I've been given, I have felt like I did want to do something else as well," said Coomber.

"It's hard work going to the gym training day after day and doing little else. The RAF have supported me for four years and it's a lot to ask of them to do this for the next four.

"If they say enough is enough, I'll have to sit down and see where I go. Yet whatever happens, whether I'm in the RAF or not, I'll be coming back in 2006."

Coomber was not the only English skeleton star being hailed at Park City.

Clifton Wrottesley, the London peer whose remarkable story was revealed by Standard Sport yesterday, astounded everyone when he almost became the first athlete to win a medal for Ireland in the Winter Olympics.

Lord Wrottesley was third on his first run in the men's event, but admitted to having "tightened up" for the second run and finished fourth.

"It exceeded my wildest hopes," he said. What was it like to become an Irish legend, one American asked him. "I'm not yet," replied his Lordship. "Ah, but you will," came the response from his admirer.

Meanwhile, the United States and Russia will battle for a place in the final of the men's ice hockey tomorrow.

The hosts saw off Germany 5-0 in their quarter-final but the Russians needed a superb display from netminder Nikolai Khabibulin to knock out the defending champions from the Czech Republic 1-0.