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Irish Olympic skier Kirsty McGarry wins the 'world's craziest race' in the Swiss Alps

Schilthorn is best-known as having served as a key location in the James Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’.

IT’S CALLED THE Inferno race for a reason. Unforgiving, treacherous, relentless. But, yesterday, deep in the slopes of snowy and sleepy Mürren in the Swiss Alps, Ireland’s Kirsty McGarry conquered it.

Competing in the Giant Slalom event, the two-time Olympian took victory, finishing less than a second ahead of nearest challenger Nicole Almer.

By claiming the win, McGarry became the first non-Swiss or non-German to win at the Inferno series for close to half a century.

The 29 year-old, who competed at the Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006 and again in Vancouver four years later, was representing Kandahar Ski Club – the organisation who first organised the monumental event back in 1928.

The race is the longest downhill in the world (15.8km) while over 1800 competitors take part.

24th February 2010 Mandatory Credit - Photo-William Cherry 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Ireland's Kirsten McGarry pictured after the finish of her first run in the Ladies' Giant Slalom at Whistler Creekside in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. William Cherry William Cherry

McGarry has practically spent her entire life on skis. Her parents, Ian and Jane, are both instructors while older sister Tamsen competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where she was flag-bearer.

The backdrop to the race, the mountain village of Mürren, is swathed in celebrity. It features heavily in the 1969 James Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ with the infamous ‘Blofeld HQ’ actually a revolving restaurant that sits atop the nearby Schilthorn Mountain.

Kirsty participates in the infamous Inferno Devil’s Downhill on Saturday.

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Your obscure Irish jersey at the African Cup of Nations is here

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    Mute China Photo Daily
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    Feb 5th 2015, 9:08 AM

    Remember the days with no sponsor on the jersey? “Mes que un club”

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    Mute Well Oil beef hooked
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    Feb 5th 2015, 9:37 AM

    This FFP is starting to be a bad idea

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    Mute John Carroll
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    Feb 5th 2015, 9:38 AM

    Every club will avail of sponsorship like this when it’s available!! Think of how many Table Quizzes FC Barcelona would have to hold to pay Messi’s wages otherwise!!

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    Mute P O Leary.
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    Feb 5th 2015, 10:19 AM

    It’s the way football has gone. FFP is forcing forcing clubs to sell naming rights etc to stay competitive. Real Madrid are selling also, so if clubs like Barcelona and Madrid have to do this then every European club will do the same shortly.
    I fully expect to see clubs getting sponsers for the clubs shorts, socks, back of shirts, shirt sleeves etc. Naming rights on traning grounds ,stadiums ,stands etc.

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    Mute Diarmaid O'Fionnachta
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    Feb 5th 2015, 12:38 PM

    Well before they would just operate at enormous financial losses with no impunity.

    The problem is the culture of extreme excess in football.

    FFP has cut the way they used to collect enormous amounts of money, and j ow they’re trying this

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    Mute Shane Kearney
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    Feb 5th 2015, 11:26 AM

    This is just horrible. The people in power at the club (the actual Barca people, not just the Middle-Eastern moneybags) must surely see the wrongs of this? It looks like you can put a price on history and tradition.

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Feb 5th 2015, 12:33 PM

    “Qatar Airways and Barcelona have the same values.

    The moment of truth…. or total bullshlt……

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    Mute Luke McDermott
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    Feb 5th 2015, 3:01 PM

    No more than a club.

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