PA Sport is following Great Britain downhill skier Roger Cruickshank
throughout his build-up to next February's Winter Olympics in Turin.
In his own weekly column RAF flying officer Cruickshank will reveal the highs
and lows of life on the World Cup circuit as he seeks to fulfil one of his
lifetime ambitions.
I have been racing in Italy for each of the last two days and things have been
going really well.
In fact things have been going so well with my knee that I barely even notice
any problems with it now.
It seems crazy that less than two weeks ago I was talking about running out of
time to get fit again, and the turnaround is hard to explain.
It means I am now suffering disappointments of a different kind and I am
frustrated I did not confirm my Olympic qualification this week.
I was ninth in the first of two super-giant slalom races in Sarntal which
represented my second best ever result, and I was on course to go even faster on
the second run.
But I missed a gate on a 60mph section, it's a section on which you have to
take a risk and I took air before I had enough direction.
I flew past the gate so I had no chance of making it despite frantically
trying to move to my left in mid-air.
I was very disappointed but that's how it goes and it is better to be
disappointed about something like that than about a new problem with my knee.
I have enjoyed pain-free skiing all week and been going really fast. I am
really benefiting from the extra weight I have put on and I believe this is the
fastest I have ever gone.
My aim now is just to get the result which will confirm my place in the
Olympic team because at the moment I am chasing races just to achieve it.
I want to re-qualify then relax and choose my races and go through a proper
build-up to the Games.
After a last minute change of plan I have decided to delay my flight home for
Christmas and instead I will head for two FIS races in Slovenia.
It means I will not get home to Banchory until late on Christmas Eve but I
hope to have a few days celebrating with my sisters.
I will be able to get in the festive spirit a little bit but I will also give
my knee a good rest and do a bit more training with it. It will be good to
detach myself a little bit and escape for a while from the pressure.
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