Adele proud of 'world-class' Olympic debut despite ‘nightmare’ final heat

As the Welshpool area prepares to be put through the ringer (in a good way) once again this Friday by our local Olympian Adele Nicoll, the star herself said she has already put her “nightmare” fourth heat in the Monobob behind her to focus on the next challenge this Friday.

The 29-year-old put in a world-class performance earlier this week when she became the first British woman to compete in the Monobob.

After three heats, where she got faster each time, she had moved up to 11^th but mistakes in the early part of the fourth, and final, heat cost her around a second and she dropped to 18^th.

Nevertheless, it was a superb effort from Adele who showed why she is regarded as one of the world’s best emerging talents in the sport.

She has been locked away with her Team GB colleagues over the past fortnight preparing, but she did break her social media silence for a message for her fans, and what to expect next!

She posted: “Unpacking the Monobob race and putting it back on the shelf, because the focus shifts to 2-Woman.

“I’ve always tried to be transparent on here, and I’ll keep doing that. Athletes aren’t machines. We feel every high and every low.

“Four years ago, I took on the challenge of learning how to pilot a sled. The choice was, learn how to get good quickly or that was the end of my Bobsleigh journey. Great Britain had no World Cup women’s team after my pilot was planning her retirement.

“Standing on the Olympic start block this week was a real full circle moment and it made me so happy.

“For context, every World Cup race is two heats combined and every World Champs or Olympic race is over four heats combined time.

“Going into the final heat of the Olympic Monobob race sitting in 11th position was above our performance target. I was proud of the three runs I’d put together, they were a true reflection of where I am as a driver.

“The fourth heat was an actual nightmare. This track punished mistakes at the top of the track like no other, and I paid seven spots for it. It stings, I won’t pretend it doesn’t. But one run doesn’t erase the quality of the three before it. Those runs are who I am and that is my standard.

“In many ways, it was one of the best and worst performances of my career, a strange emotional mix of pride and frustration. But even in that, there’s clarity. I proved to myself that I am a world-class driver. Who is also still very inexperienced.

“That’s enough, no more to be said. It’s time to reset and tap into those three good runs to take forwards into the 2-Woman. Official training is 2pm today. We're ready!

“And Thank you all of your support so far. No message goes unnoticed.”

The 2-Woman bobsleigh heat one will be held from 5pm (UK time) on Friday, followed by the second heat from 6.50pm.

It will resume on Saturday with the third heat from 6pm, followed by the fourth and final heat from 8.05pm.