Vanessa Came Last ... But At Least She Came

[joggerjayne]

Not sure how I feel about this ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/revealed-how-vanessa-mae-fiddled-her-way-into-skiing-at-the-winter-olympics-9854822.html

It turns out that Vanessa Mae actually wangled her way into the Winter Olympics.

Not sure if this is disgracful, or hilarious (given the contempt in which we all hold the International Olympic Committee).

Do we think ... How dare you!

Or do we think ... Yay, go girl!

[aelmpvw]

eddie the eagle will be taking up the violin next

[venator]

Shame on her.

She's been on the fiddle again...

[Pete65]

She is a cheat, pure and simple, and very poor in her skiing discipline.

[joggerjayne]

She finished fifty seconds behind the winner.

I'm wondering how I'd do with a fifty second head start over an a olympic champion.

[Ken4155]

She is a brilliant and innovative violinist who has earned millions of pounds and world wide acclaim. It is sad to think that she would crave more recognition so badly as to cheat to achieve her aim.

[joggerjayne]

I wonder if it was recognition? Or just the thrill of taking part in the Olympics?

[mushroom25]

chemmy Alcott wouldn't have fiddled.

[aelmpvw]

she's on a slippery slope ...

[joggerjayne]

Aah, but Chemmy is a class act.

[PankySmooch]

Hey diddle diddle
The bird with the fiddle
So desperate was she to ski
She conned the Committee
With some butt and some t!tty
With the grace and speed of a tree

[joggerjayne]

Best Answer to PankySmooch ...

... who should also be awarded a "Best Name" badge.

[kvalidir]

People have cheated since time immemorial, she was just sloppy about how she did it. I think it'd be more forgiveable if she thought you know I have a genuine talent but I might just not squeak in so I'll manipulate it all a bit and be right up there with them at the games if I try hard'- but no, 50 seconds behind everyone, not really any leaway to feel sorry for her. Hell of a nerve though.

[Ken4155]

You appear to be in the 'Yay, go girl' camp, jj. What if - by some miracle - she had medalled, depriving a much more deserving athlete of the experience of standing on the podium?

[andy-hughes]

Ken4155 - "She is a brilliant and innovative violinist who has earned millions of pounds and world wide acclaim..."

Not really.

In much the same vein as people like Paul Potts, or the Strictly audience, the vast majority of the population lack the knowledge to make an informed decision about the technical ability of such artists and dancers.

Anyone who knows anything about opera singers will advise you that Paul Potts is not actually that technically able a singer. It matters not at all - his audience love him, and they know no better, so no problem.

The same applies to Ms. Mae. She is a technically good player, but nothinf really special, except the image of the electric violin, and the floaty hair and dresses and her obvious good looks - all of which combine to provide a winning spectacle, but it does lack any real serious skill and innovation.

[sandyRoe]

Nigel Kennedy must be good. His talent could counter his appearance. ☺

[Sipowicz]

Is she highly strung?

[kvalidir]

If she had medalled then brilliant Ken, she was at least capable enough to do that on a good day- here we have a pretty girl who has traded on her looks more than anything else, used to getting her own way and orchestrating thigns to suit herself because she has the power and influence to do so. All reasonably forgiveable if somewhere there was a streak of skiing brilliance except there isn't, she's staggeringly bad, so pretty unforgivable really.

[joggerjayne]

Ken, I'm honestly not sure which camp I'm in.

The Winter Olympics (in my opinion) is the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet.

Part of me thinks it should be the preserve of the Lindsey Vonns and the Chemmy Alcotts.

But another part of me thinks that skiing is a slightly eccentric pastime, in which eccentric things should occasionally happen.

If I'd known that you could organise your own qualifying event, get your friends to enter, and qualify for the Games, I'd probably have taken part myself. I've always thought that Sussex should have our own team.

[aelmpvw]

some people look at nigel kennedy with the spiky hairstyle and aston villa shirt and sigh ... then he starts to play

[joggerjayne]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWCtI_XJ-fw