Chaffer Aims for Olympic Medal

The Skeleton team to represent Australia at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games this February in Sochi, Russia were selected by the Australian Olympic Committee this morning.


The selection of Michelle Steele, Lucy Chaffer and John Farrow defines the sheer determination for which Australian sportspeople are renowned.



“I feel very proud to be selected to compete for Australia in these Winter Olympic Games. It’s been a lot of hard work, it’s a great feeling,” Steele said.



”I’m excited to be selected,” Chaffer added. “It is an honour to be able to represent the country at the highest level.”



With backgrounds in surf lifesaving, competing in Sochi has been years in the making for Steele and Chaffer, who both just missed out on competing at the Vancouver Games in 2010. 



Chaffer will make her Olympic debut at the Games, while Steele will compete in her second Games after becoming the nation’s first ever female Skeleton athlete when she competed at the 2006 Torino Olympics.



”I have a great appreciation of the process to reach Olympic level in sport, having been through the process and qualifying (in 2006) then experiencing missing qualification (in 2010),” Steele said. 



“I’m proud of myself for continuing to work hard and gain a second Olympic selection. I’m lucky to have had such great support from my family and friends while working to achieve this,” the Queenslander said.



“It it a choice to make these sacrifices and this is the reward now,” 30-year-old Chaffer said.



”I was disappointed after Vancouver but it made me want to work harder and become a better slider because I knew that that was what it would take to make these Games,” the West Australian said. 



The athletes have set high goals for themselves in Sochi and both Steele and Chaffer want to medal.



“I think my goals are the same as everyone: a gold medal,” Chaffer said.

“Apart from that I want to have four consistently good runs. I want to be able to come away from the Games knowing that I slid to the best of my ability.”



The Skeleton team are in Konigssee, Germany for the final World Cup of the season this weekend and will be continuing to prepare their sleds.  



“I will be getting as familiar with the Sochi track as possible off the ice so I feel comfortable as soon as I get on,” Chaffer said.



The teams had great support from family and friends during the World Cup season and this is expected to continue during the Games. 



“My parents have been at the qualification races here in Europe which has been great,” Steele said. 



“My husband Tim will be in Sochi, he’s been a huge support for me and I can’t wait to share the experience with him.”



The Skeleton events take place during the first week of the Olympic Games. The women will compete first on morning of Thursday 13 February at the Sanki Sliding Centre, early evening Australian time. Farrow will slide the next day on Friday 14 February 2014.

-Australian Olympic Committee