It is the Olympics - didn't you know?

9 February 2006 10:29 GMT / By Chris Hall

With the nation talking about England's chances in the World Cup and the latest 6 Nations results, you might be surprised to learn that the Winter Olympic Games opens tomorrow, in Turin, Italy.

Great Britain has a 40-strong team heading out to the games. Of course - the curling team! Yes, Rhona Martin will lead the defence of the female curling title, gunning for Gold again. Other hopefuls to note are women's bobsleigh Jackie Davies and Nicola Minichiello, who took silver at the World Champs in 2005.

On the snowboarding front, Lesley McKenna is a strong contender, and is Britain's most successful snowboarder to date. Watch out for her in the half-pipe competition. Also returning to the picture will be Alain Baxter in the slalom who is best known for a little incident with a cold remedy that saw him stripped of his bronze medal after failing a urine test.

If you are not heading out to watch the action in the mountains, it is being widely covered on the TV and on the Internet. For UK viewers, BBC2 has coverage of the Games every day with action replays and digital viewers can experience interactive coverage. Eurosport has extensive coverage for the duration of the Olympic Games, with every event covered live.

The official website of the games is www.torino2006.org.

Thanks to LaPresse for the image.

Full tags

Sports Fitness, Skiing And Snowboarding, Sports Fitness events, Winter Olympics 2006