Vanessa Mae story.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/winter-olympics/2580290...
She qualified at 4 FIS races in Slovenia. Technically; strange rules that Junior local competition can counts as a FIS race. FIS point formula is also on stake here. It looks that final points can vary a lot.
At the end I ask myself why IOC and International sports federation think that Vanessa Mae and other wealthy people (e.g. von Hohenlohe) needs to prove their skills if their country don't have any other representatives. I'd much rather like to see wild cards for these countries instead of qualification FIS races and possibility of gaming the system at local races.
If I looked back how we've selected juniors for International competitions it is almost the same story. Some of them are trained to go, some of them liked orienteering just because they get a chance to go, some get spot because of connections. This type of selection criteria is logical when you have small inner competition or small base of athletes. Orienteering is a small sport in Slovenia so it is skiing (probably unknown sport) in Thailand, Mexico or Domenica.
It would be good to know how many Thai people watched or at least know the fact that Thailand has an athlete at Winter Olympic games. Do they achieve the goal? Thailand free worldwide promotion? I hope so, because Olympics shouldn't be just medals otherwise make Olympics for best 25 or 20 athletes on planet Earth.
I suppose it is much more "inspiring" for Thai people to see Vanessa skiing than looking unknown ski stars or other Olympic champions. Who won Olympic Curling gold? I don't care. Who watch Vanessa Mae skiing? I don't care. Our ski-flying national coach said: I had only one wish for photo shooting in Sochi, No, no, no.. it is not a ski star from any other sports, it is Vanessa Mae.