Vanessa Mae has praised the crowd in Sochi after making her Winter Olympics debut in the women's giant slalom this morning.
The violinist, who has been skiing since she was four years old, finished 67th in the event, 50 seconds behind gold medallist Tina Maze.
After her second run, the 35-year-old told BBC Sport: "Marginally better. The first run, I was just so unprepared for the feeling of speed. I just do not have that need for speed in my body, but with my limited experience I was happy with what I did.
"It was so sweet, the crowd, the atmosphere, the people shouting, 'Go Vanessa'. I just wanted to turn around and say 'thank you, guys'.
"This is the Olympic spirit and to be just a small part of it for a few days is special."
Mae became the third athlete to compete for Thailand at the Winter Olympics.
Written by
Sian Cowper
Sian Cowper
