Australia’s Olympic ski team found a way to beat the heat and rival countries.
The $4.6 million outdoor ramp complex in Brisbane will now allow their competitors to train year-round. The slopes lead down to a massive pool of water.
“So for the development of the sport in Australia, this is huge,” Australia freestyle skier Danielle Scott told Reuters. “To be able to have kids filtering through, trying this sport and seeing what it is all about, is going to bring so much more success because we work at the mercy of other countries and to send kids overseas is just too much, so I am pretty excited for those future generations.”
According to ABC Australia, the 120-foot slope took a year to build and it was finished as an ideal time given the coronavirus restrictions each country faces.
“So for my preparation personally, this facility is huge. I am coming back from a knee injury which gives me the flexibility to train at any point in time that I need to. With COVID as well, our schedule is all over the place, so it is allowing us to focus on the things at hand and put some good quality training time in.”
Australian aerial skier Abbey Willcox trains on the winter Olympic training centers’ aerial ski jump facility at the Sleeman Sports Complex in BrisbaneDARREN ENGLAND/EPA-EFE/ShutterstThe next Winter Olympics is scheduled for Beijing in 2022.
“Usually our training times are determined by other countries, and, you know, they get the ramp first, we get it second,” fellow freestyle skier Abbey Willcox told ABC.
“But now we can train whenever we want, whenever we need to, so it’s looking good for the future.”
