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Bobsleigh Action at the Spiral Track (February 15)
On February 13, a group of us went to the Spiral Track in Nagano City to see the first day of the two-man bobsleigh event. Actually, we went to cheer for one of our teachers, Masao Nashida, who was piloting one of the test sleds that make sure the track is all right for the competition.The stands were filled with people in colorful face paint. We had stickers on our faces. Some people came up and asked us where we had bought the stickers, but we had to tell them that one of our teachers had made them for us.
I had thought of bobsleigh as a minor event in the Olympics, but enough fans were there from all over the world that the stands were completely filled. The fans cheering for Jamaica and the Virgin Islands were especially loud.
We got very loud, too, when Mr. Nashida sped down the track as a test sledder. A woman sitting next to us cheered right along with us. It was too bad that the test sledders didn't get their names announced when they raced, though--maybe more people would have cheered. But we were excited to be there, listening to the thundering sound of the bobsleighs as they rocketed by. They really are the "F-1 racers on ice"! (Report from Shinonoi Nishi Middle School: Kotaro Higuma)
Watching the bobsleigh rocket by
Posing with Mr. Nashida and our school flag