Star mogul skiier Dale Begg-Smith is missing, leaving his participation at Sochi 2014 uncertain at best
Is he in his native Canada? Maybe. A mystery location in Australia? Could be. Somewhere else entirely? Can’t rule that out, either.
Begg-Smith won gold in the moguls at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics, then silver at Vancouver 2010.
That puts him ahead of aerial skier Alisa Camplin and short-track speed skater Steven Bradbury, each of whom won gold and bronze in their careers.
The 28-year-old could yet add to his tally at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games next February in Sochi, Russia. But will he be there?
Begg-Smith’s coach Steve Desovich reckons he’s a 50/50 chance. But Olympic Winter Institute of Australia boss Geoff Lipshut is less bullish. He rates Begg-Smith a worse than even-money chance to compete in Sochi.
"Chances are Dale will not be in Sochi, just because we haven’t seen Dale much lately,” Lipshut said.
Begg-Smith is a famously elusive character. He grew up in Canada but quit the Canadian ski team because they insisted he train with them full-time. That didn’t suit the budding entrepreneur, whose internet spyware business was already flourishing.
Begg-Smith moved to Australia in 2001 with his older brother Jason, enticed by snow sports officials prepared to cut him a bit more slack.
The brothers became Australian citizens three years later, and Begg-Smith began to compete for Australia. He didn’t know the words of the national anthem when he stood atop the Torino podium, and has professed a dislike of meat pies. But technically, his passport says he is one of us.
Begg-Smith’s last moguls competition was in December 2010. That was two-and-a-half years ago. Since then, his activities remain a mystery, although Winter Olympic officials say he maintains semi-regular contact.
He was last spotted at an Australian camp in May, where he trained on a water ramp at Park City in Utah. And then, like the enigmatic figure Keyser Soze from the movie The Usual Suspects, he was gone.
The winter sports community in his native Vancouver is none the wiser. Gary Kingston, veteran winter sports reporter at the Vancouver Sun, broke the story of Begg-Smith’s wealth and fast cars in the early 2000s. He hasn’t heard a whisper from any member of the Begg-Smith family for three years.
Intriguingly, Begg-Smith is one of several international names pencilled-in on a list of competitors at the national Moguls Championships in Perisher, NSW on August 16. Perisher is the home of Australian mogul skiing, with the only world-standard course recognised by skiing’s governing body, the FIS.
The resort throws plenty of resources at the mogul program and Begg-Smith trained there frequently before and after Torino. But will he be there on August 16?
Desovich says it’s extremely unlikely. One thing he can confirm is that it’s wrong to say Begg-Smith has no love for his adopted country, or that his real persona is anything like the aloof figure we’ve seen on television. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“He is very thankful for Australia and what our program has provided him, which was a refuge for him to be able to do his career,” Desovich says.
"Dale has had a large role in mentoring young mogul skiers like (18-year-old Sochi hopeful) Matt Graham. He has taken an interest in him on several on several occasions with the technical side of the sport and with competition strategy.”
Lipshut is even more glowing.
“Dale is always welcome. He has been fantastic for our athletes and our program, and is real leadership material. Dale is a very sociable, very liked member of the Australian Olympic team. He has always been a very easy athlete to have on the team and we’re very lucky to have him.”
With barely six months left until the Sochi Opening ceremony, Begg-Smith could be running out of time to make his move. Fitness is one thing, competition fitness another thing entirely.
“He could still earn his place in Sochi through world cups in December and January, but he’d have to have a couple of top 10 finishes I would imagine,” Lipshut says.
“It is possible but until I see Dale skiing in a competition, it is probably unlikely.
“Dale has various personal business interests. When he’s not with us training, we don’t keep personal tabs on Dale.”