Simon Lewis, Vancouver

IRELAND's bobsleigh duo Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin could have afforded themselves at least a wry smile and quite possibly a bit of a smirk as they got the gondola back down the mountain to the Whistler Olympic Village.
After all, unlike many of their fellow competitors, male and female, they had safely completed their event without a crash on their Olympic debuts, conquering the Whistler Sliding Centre's “track of death” that had tragically cost Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili his life on the eve of the 2010 Winter Games.
Pilot Hoey and brakewoman Bergin had an extra reason to be satisfied, though, because although they finished 17th of the 21 women's two-man bob teams, one of the pairs behind them in the standings was the Australian pair of Astrid Loch-Wilkinson and Cecilia McIntosh.
It was the Australians who had launched a legal battle to have the Irish removed from the Winter Olympics, despite Hoey's superior world ranking, on the grounds of geographic representation.
Thankfully they failed in their bid in the Court of Arbitration for Sport although Loch-Wilkinson and McIntosh were added to the start list as extra team.
While the Aussies celerbated, Hoey and Bergin's relief was short-lived as another legal challenge to their participation was mounted, this time by Brazil and undoubtedly inspired by the success of the initial action.
The Brazilian bid failed compeltely but it was hardly the preparation the Irish team had wished for in the run to an Olympic bow on the fastest, most terrifying track in their sport.
So one can only imagine the satisfaction of seeing Team Oz finish two places behind IRL1 in 19th place, Loch-Wilkinson having crashed on their final run.
"After all the legal fuss before the competition, we feel vindicated with the results achieved here,” a dignified and diplomatic Hoey said but the poetic justice of it all was not lost on anyone.
Certainly not back home, if the reports Ireland's newest sporting heroines had been getting were to be believed.
“It seems to mean a lot to Ireland,” Bergin said. “We're the first women's bobsleigh to make the Olympic Games. One of the radio stations back home has made a song about us.
“Maybe it will be a couple of days of mad media. I suppose we don't understand what it's like back there.
“I hope they're proud of us.”
Of that there will be no doubt.