Australian skeleton racer Narracott recalls experiences at Yanqing's mighty "Snow Dragon"

SYDNEY, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- For skeleton racer Jackie Narracott, the reality of her achievements at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics hasn't fully sunk in.

By securing silver at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre, Narracott became the first Australian to ever win a medal in any Olympic sliding sport, which also includes bobsleigh, monobob and luge.

"It's still sinking in what it means in regard to Aussie sports history," Narracott told Xinhua from her hometown of Brisbane in Queensland, where she is taking a well-earned rest before returning to Britain in March.

Recounting her experiences in the Chinese mountains this month, she said it evoked an intoxicating blend of feelings such as calmness, exhilaration and just a dash of surrealism.

"We were there during Chinese New Year, so they tried to make it a bit special. And the food was delicious," she said. "They did a great job."

Narracott attributes at least part of her Olympic success to Yanqing's slide track, which is known by locals as the "Snow Dragon".

The "very smooth and flowy" course with its long stretches and open curves is in a "class of its own", said Narracott, who slid headfirst down its icy track at speeds in excess of 130 kilometres per hour.

She was also greatly impressed by the venue's indoor warm-up area, saying it had no comparison on the international circuit.

Much of Narracott's achievements, however, are due to the sort of traits she shares with many elite athletes.

Throughout the past decade, the 31-year-old has drawn on her reserves of perseverance and self-belief as she competed against the world's best in South Korea, Europe and the UK.

Her career has had plenty of twists and turns including suffering a concussion in 2019 that required six months' recovery.

Through it all, Narracott, supported by her husband and coach Dom Parsons, soldiered on, finally being rewarded in January when she became the first Australian skeleton competitor to ever win gold at a World Cup.

Despite that recent triumph at St. Moritz in Switzerland, many commentators underestimated her Olympic chances, by predicting European powerhouses such as the Netherlands, Germany and Austria would dominate.

Explaining her winning mindset, Narracott said it was vital to have a completely clear mind when competing at the lightning-fast event.

"You need to focus on what you are feeling, not thinking, in the moment," she said.

"The more you think about it, the tighter you get, and the longer it takes to process things. That split second can be the difference between first and last . or even hitting a wall."

With regard to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, the two-time Olympian said she hasn't thought that far ahead. Having had three concussions, she said her biggest thing is making sure her head stays healthy. The last concussion took her six months to recover so she would like "to leave the sport healthy".

"If that means I get to Milan, brilliant. If it means that I have to call up a little bit sooner than that, then we'll see. But for now, everything's feeling good."