Reflections on Turin

It's as if that name Arianne Caoili follows us everywhere. We even spot it here in Daaim Shabazz's Reflections on Turin.

Daaim was not the only person to compain about what he calls the "long march" between the player's village and the venue. Ireland's board 5 for the men, FM Colm Daly sent me an email in which he said (and we have his permission to quote):

Ironically I was in Turin and had a bloody awful time [was quite unwell really] and after arriving the night of the third round and then performed so awfully when I did play, I actually left on the Friday before the 3rd last round. Such was my eagerness to get out of there. [Just my personal perspective]. I liked Turin but hated the whole Olympic village and set up generally.

Forcing people to walk 20 minutes to and from a venue in such heat, each time they play and then added to this the living conditions. This was easily the worst Olympiad I have played in [been to 5 now in total] No fridge, actually little or nothing save for a bed and a table and chair!

And we cannot resist this:

Seems alot of the Ozzy girls are a fiesty lot. [Well they seem to have alot more personality than the hordes of eastern European women players who could hardly be much less interesting.]

One has to see the funny and human side to all this.

We reckon Mr Daly is an OK bloke.