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Dale Begg-Smith believes the future of Australian moguls skiing is in good hands, and he’s given every indication he’d like to continue to be a part of it.
Criticised in some circles for a stoney-faced reaction to his silver medal win, the 25 year-old appeared somewhat more relaxed at a team function to celebrate his achievement on Monday night.
After a typically reluctant start: “they told me I wasn’t going to have to speak tonight”, he paid tribute to the new generation of skiers in Australia that he had largely help inspire.
“Over the last eight years being in Australia the program has changed a lot and facilities have become a lot better and we have a really good course and the kids seemed pretty excited abut the sport,” he said.
“I noticed a large wave of kids coming in after 2006 and those kids have improved quite a lot.”
He said Ramone Cooper would be a strong medal hope in 2014, 15 year-old Britteny Cox would be a top competitor when she got older and stronger and Matt Graham, who would’ve likely made the Games here had Cooper been ruled out with injury, seemed lined up to make it to the top.
After winning silver on Sunday, Begg-Smith suggested he’d be around for a few more years but didn’t commit through to the 2014 Games in Sochi.
It was something of a warmer reception for Begg-Smith than the medal presentation an hour earlier.
When the medallists were introduced to the crowd preceding the start of the ceremony he was booed.
Some modest applause followed when he actually received his medal.
A wag photographer handed him an Australian flag, Begg-Smith draping it around his shoulders and posing for photographs albeit a little reluctantly.
He had drawn criticism the previous evening when gold medallist Alexandre Bioldeau and American third place-getter Bryon Wilson beamed as they wore their respective countries’ flags while the Australians just left his goggles on looking stoney-faced.
Much like his modest celebrations after winning gold in Turin, Begg-Smith spent the night of his medal win with his brother, Australian team members and some friends at a restaurant in downtown Vancouver.