Skeleton at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's
Encyclopedia
The women's skeleton
event at the 2010 Winter Olympics
took place at the Whistler Sliding Centre
on 18–19 February. The competition was won by British athlete Amy Williams
, who set new course records for the track on her first and third runs. Williams, who had never before won a World Cup or World Championship event, became the first British athlete to win a solo Winter Olympic gold medal in 30 years. German sliders Kerstin Szymkowiak and Anja Huber
won the silver and bronze medals respectively. Williams' teammate Shelley Rudman
, who had won the silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics
, and Canadian Melissa Hollingsworth, both of whom had been expected to be in medal contention, were disappointed.
Williams' victory was not without controversy, as the United States and Canada filed complaints with the judges related to Williams' helmet. However, judges ruled that ridges in her helmet did not violate International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) rules, and rejected the complaints.
in Whistler
, British Columbia
was the site of women's skeleton
at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver
, Canada
. The track was constructed between 2005 and 2008, and became only the 15th competition-level track in the world. It was certified for competition in sliding sports by the International Luge Federation (FIL) and the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) in March, 2008 in a process called homologation where hundreds of athletes ran the track. This was the first time many competitors at the 2010 Games were able to try the track and begin to develop strategies for it. Canadian athletes hoped that having it open two years before the Games, and having that amount of time to train on it, would give them an advantage in the Games. The Whistler Sliding Centre quickly gained a reputation as one of the fastest tracks in the world.
(IOC). They entrusted four to seven officials with making decisions regarding competition rules: one or two technical delegates, a jury president, two jury members, and two optional jury assistants. These decisions were implemented and enforced by a race director, to whom the overall responsibility for running the competition was given. Under the rules, competitors were guaranteed a minimum of six official training runs in the days prior to the competition. The competition itself consisted of four heats, with the starting order of athletes determined by their FIBT rankings prior to the start of the Games. Athletes began their runs on their sleds at a starting block, ran briefly while holding their sleds, and then laid on their stomachs on the sleds through the remainder of the course. Athletes were ranked by the speed of their times between the their start and when they crossed the finish line at the bottom of the track.
and bobsleigh
, but following the re-introduction of skeleton, they had not been as strongly competitive in the new sport. Mellisa Hollingsworth of Canada, the defending Olympic bronze medalist, won the 2009-10 Skeleton World Cup, and was considered a strong contender if not the favorite to win. British athlete Shelley Rudman
won the only British medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics
with her silver in skeleton, and her bronze medal at the European Championships just prior to the Games kept her name in media previews of the Olympic event. Her countrywoman Amy Williams
, however, finished outside of the medal places in both the World Cup, in which she placed fifth, and the European Championships, in which she placed sixth. American Noelle Pikus-Pace
had not been able to compete in the 2006 Games after a runaway bobsleigh had broken her leg.
A number of other athletes had the potential to win medals by virtue of previous strong finishes in international competition. Switzerland's Maya Pedersen-Bieri
was the defending Olympic champion
. The defending world champion
was Germany's Marion Trott
, who also won the test event held at the venue. The last 2009-10 Skeleton World Cup prior to the 2010 Games took place in Igls, Austria (southeast of Innsbruck
) on 22 January 2010 and was won by Germany's Anja Huber
.
s, the FIBT does maintain records for both the start and a complete run at each track it competes. These records were set during the test event for the 2010 Games on 5 February 2009.
The United States, Canada and Germany, together with two unnamed teams, lodged a protest with officials following Williams' successful first day of competition. The protest alleged that her helmet was illegal, as ridges in it might give her an unfair aerodynamic advantage. In accordance with competition rules, the jury of officials inspected the helmet, and rejected the protest. Their grounds for doing so were that the ridges in the helmet were not a separate piece affixed to the helmet, expressly banned by FIBT rules, but rather an integral part of the helmet, which made the helmet legal. A second protest, filed jointly by the US and Canada on the 19th, was also rejected.
The next day, in her third run, Williams again set a new course record, 53.68 seconds, and won the final run as well to secure the gold medal. Williams became the first British sportsperson to win an individual Winter Olympic gold medal in thirty years. Prior to this win, Williams had never won a World Cup or World Championship event. German athletes, Kerstin Szymkowiak and Anja Huber, won the silver and bronze medals, the first Olympic medals for Germany in the sport. Williams' teammate Shelley Rudman fought her way into the lead briefly after a fast final run, but was overtaken by a five other athletes and finished sixth. Canada's Hollingsworth dropped from third place after the first two runs to fifth after the final run. American Noelle Pikus-Pace, who was in sixth place after the third run, finished fourth in the overall standings.
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
event at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
took place at the Whistler Sliding Centre
Whistler Sliding Centre
The Whistler Sliding Centre is a Canadian bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Whistler, British Columbia, that is north of Vancouver. The centre is part of the Whistler Blackcomb resort, which comprises two ski mountains separated by Fitzsimmons Creek...
on 18–19 February. The competition was won by British athlete Amy Williams
Amy Williams
Amy Joy Williams MBE is an English skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath...
, who set new course records for the track on her first and third runs. Williams, who had never before won a World Cup or World Championship event, became the first British athlete to win a solo Winter Olympic gold medal in 30 years. German sliders Kerstin Szymkowiak and Anja Huber
Anja Huber
Anja Huber is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2003. She earned two gold medals at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, winning them in women's skeleton and the mixed bobsleigh-skeleton team event.Huber finished eighth in the women's skeleton event at the 2006...
won the silver and bronze medals respectively. Williams' teammate Shelley Rudman
Shelley Rudman
Shelley Rudman is a British Olympic athlete. She won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in skeleton; the only medal for Great Britain at the games...
, who had won the silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, and Canadian Melissa Hollingsworth, both of whom had been expected to be in medal contention, were disappointed.
Williams' victory was not without controversy, as the United States and Canada filed complaints with the judges related to Williams' helmet. However, judges ruled that ridges in her helmet did not violate International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) rules, and rejected the complaints.
Logistics
Track
The Whistler Sliding CentreWhistler Sliding Centre
The Whistler Sliding Centre is a Canadian bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Whistler, British Columbia, that is north of Vancouver. The centre is part of the Whistler Blackcomb resort, which comprises two ski mountains separated by Fitzsimmons Creek...
in Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
was the site of women's skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The track was constructed between 2005 and 2008, and became only the 15th competition-level track in the world. It was certified for competition in sliding sports by the International Luge Federation (FIL) and the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) in March, 2008 in a process called homologation where hundreds of athletes ran the track. This was the first time many competitors at the 2010 Games were able to try the track and begin to develop strategies for it. Canadian athletes hoped that having it open two years before the Games, and having that amount of time to train on it, would give them an advantage in the Games. The Whistler Sliding Centre quickly gained a reputation as one of the fastest tracks in the world.
Rules and description of competition
Rules for the Olympic skeleton competitions were set by the FIBT and the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC). They entrusted four to seven officials with making decisions regarding competition rules: one or two technical delegates, a jury president, two jury members, and two optional jury assistants. These decisions were implemented and enforced by a race director, to whom the overall responsibility for running the competition was given. Under the rules, competitors were guaranteed a minimum of six official training runs in the days prior to the competition. The competition itself consisted of four heats, with the starting order of athletes determined by their FIBT rankings prior to the start of the Games. Athletes began their runs on their sleds at a starting block, ran briefly while holding their sleds, and then laid on their stomachs on the sleds through the remainder of the course. Athletes were ranked by the speed of their times between the their start and when they crossed the finish line at the bottom of the track.
Preview
Much of the speculation about potential medal winners before the Games focused on athletes from Great Britain, the United States, and Canada. Athletes from German-speaking countries had traditionally been dominant in the sliding sports, lugeLuge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
and bobsleigh
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....
, but following the re-introduction of skeleton, they had not been as strongly competitive in the new sport. Mellisa Hollingsworth of Canada, the defending Olympic bronze medalist, won the 2009-10 Skeleton World Cup, and was considered a strong contender if not the favorite to win. British athlete Shelley Rudman
Shelley Rudman
Shelley Rudman is a British Olympic athlete. She won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in skeleton; the only medal for Great Britain at the games...
won the only British medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
with her silver in skeleton, and her bronze medal at the European Championships just prior to the Games kept her name in media previews of the Olympic event. Her countrywoman Amy Williams
Amy Williams
Amy Joy Williams MBE is an English skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath...
, however, finished outside of the medal places in both the World Cup, in which she placed fifth, and the European Championships, in which she placed sixth. American Noelle Pikus-Pace
Noelle Pikus-Pace
Noelle Pikus-Pace is an American skeleton racer who competed from 2000 to 2010. She won three medals at the FIBT World Championships with a gold and two silvers .After winning the silver medal in the women's skeleton event at the 2005 FIBT World...
had not been able to compete in the 2006 Games after a runaway bobsleigh had broken her leg.
A number of other athletes had the potential to win medals by virtue of previous strong finishes in international competition. Switzerland's Maya Pedersen-Bieri
Maya Pedersen-Bieri
Maya Pedersen-Bieri is a Swiss skeleton racer who has competed since 1995. She won the gold medal in the women's skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin....
was the defending Olympic champion
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
. The defending world champion
FIBT World Championships 2009
The FIBT World Championships 2009, officially known as the Bauhaus FIBT Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Championships, 20 February to 1 March 2009 at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Lake Placid, New York for the ninth time, doing so previously in 1949, 1961, 1969, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1997 , and...
was Germany's Marion Trott
Marion Trott
Marion Thees is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2001. She won two golds at the 2009 FIBT World Championships in Lake Placid, New York, earning them in the women's skeleton and mixed team events.In 2009, Trott was second in the European Championships in St. Moritz...
, who also won the test event held at the venue. The last 2009-10 Skeleton World Cup prior to the 2010 Games took place in Igls, Austria (southeast of Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
) on 22 January 2010 and was won by Germany's Anja Huber
Anja Huber
Anja Huber is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2003. She earned two gold medals at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, winning them in women's skeleton and the mixed bobsleigh-skeleton team event.Huber finished eighth in the women's skeleton event at the 2006...
.
Standing records
While the IOC does not consider skeleton times eligible for Olympic recordOlympic record
Olympic records are the best performances in a specific event in that event's history in either the Summer Olympic Games or the Winter Olympic Games...
s, the FIBT does maintain records for both the start and a complete run at each track it competes. These records were set during the test event for the 2010 Games on 5 February 2009.
| Type | Date | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | 5 February 2009 | 4.97 | |
| Track | 5 February 2009 | 54.81 |
Qualifying athletes
On 20 January 2010, the FIBT announced the teams which had qualified for the 2010 Games, the quotas being subsequently updated on 26 January 2010. The athletes who qualified for the women's event were:Competition
The first run start order was released on the afternoon of 17 February 2010. The first two runs took place on 18 February at 16:00 PST (Pacific Standard Time) and 17:00 PST. On 19 February, the final two runs took take place at 15:45 PST and 16:45 PST. During the first run, Amy Williams broke the previous course record by nearly a full second, finishing first with a time of 53.83 seconds and reaching a top speed of 143.3 km/h (89 mph). She led the second run as well. German slider Kerstin Szymkowiak was in second place after two runs, nearly a third of a second behind Williams. Melissa Hollingsworth, competing on home soil and called the favorite to win in a number of media accounts, was in third place, trailing Szymkowiak after two runs by 0.09 seconds. Shelley Rudman trailed by nearly a full second, surprising many observers who had expected her to be in medal contention. Japanese athlete Nozomi Komuro was disqualified after the first heat because her sled did not have the required FIBT control sticker.The United States, Canada and Germany, together with two unnamed teams, lodged a protest with officials following Williams' successful first day of competition. The protest alleged that her helmet was illegal, as ridges in it might give her an unfair aerodynamic advantage. In accordance with competition rules, the jury of officials inspected the helmet, and rejected the protest. Their grounds for doing so were that the ridges in the helmet were not a separate piece affixed to the helmet, expressly banned by FIBT rules, but rather an integral part of the helmet, which made the helmet legal. A second protest, filed jointly by the US and Canada on the 19th, was also rejected.
The next day, in her third run, Williams again set a new course record, 53.68 seconds, and won the final run as well to secure the gold medal. Williams became the first British sportsperson to win an individual Winter Olympic gold medal in thirty years. Prior to this win, Williams had never won a World Cup or World Championship event. German athletes, Kerstin Szymkowiak and Anja Huber, won the silver and bronze medals, the first Olympic medals for Germany in the sport. Williams' teammate Shelley Rudman fought her way into the lead briefly after a fast final run, but was overtaken by a five other athletes and finished sixth. Canada's Hollingsworth dropped from third place after the first two runs to fifth after the final run. American Noelle Pikus-Pace, who was in sixth place after the third run, finished fourth in the overall standings.
Results
Time listed at top in italics is start time while time below is the track time. SR - Start Record. TR - Track Record. Top finishes in both times are in boldface.| Rank | Bib | Athlete | Country | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 | Run 4 | Total | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Amy Williams Amy Williams Amy Joy Williams MBE is an English skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath... |
4.95 53.83-TR |
4.96 54.13 |
5.00 53.68-TR |
4.94 54.00 |
3:35.64 | +0.00 | ||
| 3 | Kerstin Szymkowiak | 5.04 54.15 |
5.00 54.11 |
5.01 53.91 |
4.96 54.03 |
3:36.20 | +0.56 | ||
| 8 | Anja Huber Anja Huber Anja Huber is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2003. She earned two gold medals at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, winning them in women's skeleton and the mixed bobsleigh-skeleton team event.Huber finished eighth in the women's skeleton event at the 2006... |
4.90-SR 54.17 |
4.97 54.21 |
5.07 54.10 |
5.03 53.88 |
3:36.36 | +0.72 | ||
| 6 | Noelle Pikus-Pace Noelle Pikus-Pace Noelle Pikus-Pace is an American skeleton racer who competed from 2000 to 2010. She won three medals at the FIBT World Championships with a gold and two silvers .After winning the silver medal in the women's skeleton event at the 2005 FIBT World... |
5.12 54.30 |
5.11 54.21 |
5.07 53.88 |
5.06 54.07 |
3:36.46 | +0.82 | ||
| 1 | Mellisa Hollingsworth | 5.05 54.18 |
5.04 54.17 |
5.02 53.81 |
4.93 54.44 |
3:36.60 | +0.96 | ||
| 2 | Shelley Rudman Shelley Rudman Shelley Rudman is a British Olympic athlete. She won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in skeleton; the only medal for Great Britain at the games... |
5.03 54.66 |
5.01 54.26 |
5.01 53.95 |
4.99 53.82 |
3:36.69 | +1.05 | ||
| 9 | Amy Gough Amy Gough Amy Gough is a Canadian skeleton racer who has competed since 2002. Her best Skeleton World Cup finish was second at Park City, Utah in November 2009.... |
5.10 54.14 |
5.08 54.78 |
5.05 53.92 |
4.99 54.17 |
3:37.01 | +1.37 | ||
| 4 | Marion Trott Marion Trott Marion Thees is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2001. She won two golds at the 2009 FIBT World Championships in Lake Placid, New York, earning them in the women's skeleton and mixed team events.In 2009, Trott was second in the European Championships in St. Moritz... |
5.19 54.53 |
5.21 54.53 |
5.18 53.88 |
5.18 54.17 |
3:37.11 | +1.47 | ||
| 10 | Maya Pedersen-Bieri Maya Pedersen-Bieri Maya Pedersen-Bieri is a Swiss skeleton racer who has competed since 1995. She won the gold medal in the women's skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.... |
5.05 54.53 |
5.08 54.83 |
5.05 54.24 |
5.02 53.91 |
3:37.51 | +1.87 | ||
| 10 | 14 | Emma Lincoln-Smith Emma Lincoln-Smith Emma Lincoln-Smith is an Australian skeleton racer who has competed since 2004. Her best Skeleton World Cup finish was seventh twice .... |
5.01 54.28 |
5.00 54.41 |
5.02 54.54 |
4.97 54.40 |
3:37.63 | +1.99 | |
| 11 | 7 | Katie Uhlaender Katie Uhlaender Katie Uhlaender is an American skeleton racer who has competed since 2003. She won four medals at the FIBT World Championships with one silver and three bronzes .Uhlaender won the women's Skeleton World Cup title twice... |
4.94 54.51 |
4.95 54.53 |
4.96 54.54 |
4.97 54.35 |
3:37.93 | +2.29 | |
| 12 | 11 | Melissa Hoar Melissa Hoar Melissa Hoar is an Australian skeleton racer who has competed since 2004. Her best Skeleton World Cup finish was fifth at Nagano in January 2006.... |
5.16 54.73 |
5.21 54.48 |
5.16 54.48 |
5.11 54.53 |
3:38.22 | +2.58 | |
| 13 | 13 | Michelle Kelly Michelle Kelly Michelle Kelly is a Canadian skeleton racer who has competed since 1996. She won a complete set of medals at the FIBT World Championships with a gold in 2003 , a silver in 2008 , and a bronze in 2005 .Kelly also finished tenth in the women's skeleton event... |
5.08 54.73 |
5.08 55.49 |
5.06 55.56 |
5.10 55.01 |
3:40.79 | +5.15 | |
| 14 | 15 | Tionette Stoddard Tionette Stoddard Tionette Stoddard aka T-Dog is a New Zealand skeleton racer who has competed since 2004. Her best Skeleton World Cup finish was seventh at St... |
4.99 55.85 |
4.98 55.93 |
5.00 55.02 |
4.95 54.89 |
3:41.69 | +6.05 | |
| 15 | 19 | Costanza Zanoletti Costanza Zanoletti Costanza Zanoletti is an Italian skeleton racer who has competed since 2002. She finished fifth in the women's skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.... |
4.97 55.48 |
5.03 55.63 |
4.99 55.38 |
4.97 55.31 |
3:41.80 | +6.16 | |
| 16 | 12 | Svetlana Trunova Svetlana Trunova Svetlana Valeryevna Trunova is a Russian skeleton racer who has competed since 2004. She finished 11th in the women's skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.... |
4.99 56.47 |
5.00 55.32 |
4.93 55.23 |
4.95 55.17 |
3:42.19 | +6.55 | |
| 17 | 18 | Desiree Bjerke Desiree Bjerke Desiree Bjerke Andersen is a Norwegian skeleton racer who has competed since 1997. She finished ninth in the women's skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.... |
5.20 56.48 |
5.31 55.28 |
5.25 55.34 |
5.20 55.26 |
3:42.36 | +6.72 | |
| 18 | 16 | Elena Yudina | 5.08 55.42 |
5.14 56.06 |
5.12 55.54 |
5.11 55.77 |
3:42.79 | +7.15 | |
| 19 | 20 | Maria Marinela Mazilu Maria Marinela Mazilu Maria Marinela Mazilu is a Romanian skeleton racer who has competed since 2007. Her best finish was third in lesser events in Igls in December 2008.Mazilu qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics where she finished 19th.-References:*... |
5.15 57.10 |
5.18 57.03 |
5.18 58.14 |
5.25 57.65 |
3:49.92 | +14.28 | |
| 17 | Nozomi Komuro Nozomi Komuro is a Japanese skeleton racer who has competed since 2005. Her best World Cup finish was fourth in the women's World Cup in Lake Placid, New York on December 17, 2010.... |
External links
- 2010 Winter Olympics results: Women's (heat 1), from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-18.
- 2010 Winter Olympics results: Women's (heat 2), from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-18.
- 2010 Winter Olympics results: Women's (heat 3), from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-19.
- 2010 Winter Olympics results: Women's (heat 4), from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-19.