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"I have the self-belief to win gold. I know it sounds crazy when I've never finished on the podium yet... but I know what I am capable of."
Britain's top skier Chemmy Alcott is certainly not shy about her Winter Olympics aspirations but it's time for the talking to stop and for her to start registering results to back up her words.
The countdown to the Vancouver Olympics next February starts in earnest when the World Cup season begins with the traditional curtain-raiser in Soelden, Austria, on 24 October.
Alcott will be there, competing in the giant slalom and hoping for a performance like last year when she won the second leg of the race to finish 10th overall.
The Oval - I know it is a sweeping generalisation but from my experience South Africans are not known for being shy and retiring types.
Which is why I was pretty confident Cape Town-born Jonathan Trott would not look like the proverbial rabbit in the headlights when he stepped out at The Oval for his England Test match debut. And so it proved.
He has made a hugely impressive debut by scoring a maiden Test century - becoming the 18th England player to do so and only the third at The Oval behind Frank Hayes and WG Grace.
And we must not forget his great catch in the first innings when he snaffled Australia dangerman Michael Clarke at short extra cover to augment England's chances of regaining the Ashes urn....
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Hi, I'm a senior broadcast journalist covering all sports, but have a particular passion for winter sports. Anything fast and furious like skiing and bobsleigh, and at the other end of the spectrum, the genteel world of cricket and curling. You can also follow me on Twitter.
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