Crossover violinist Vanessa-Mae, who realized her dream earlier this week of skiing in the Sochi Olympics, finished in last place during the Ladies' Giant Slalom. But she was able to finish both her runs on a course where the conditions were less than ideal, something that 22 other competitors failed to do.
Vanessa-Mae's official time for both runs was 50 seconds slower than the winner, Tina Maze of Slovenia, and 12 seconds behind the skier in 66th place.
But Vanessa-Mae, 35, was not downhearted after finishing last. "The Olympics is like the greatest show on earth and to just share the same snow, to be able to slide down the same snow that the elite skiers carve down is just an honor and a privilege," she told the AP's Krasnaya Polyana.
Vanessa-Mae was born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and Thai father. Her parents divorced several years later, and she went to live in Britain with her mother, who remarried. Vanessa-Mae chose to represent Thailand in the Sochi Olympics under the name of Vanessa Vanakorn, using her Thai father's surname. She was one of only two athletes representing Thailand at these winter games.
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