Vanessa Mae skiing in Zermatt. Photo credit: Valais Tourismus
. world ski news : Vanessa Mae to represent Thailand at 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi - 04 February 2012 - 22:12
Famous violinist Vanessa-Mae plans to represent Thailand in downhill skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Thailand's Bangkok Post reported.
Vanessa Mae skiing in Zermatt. Photo credit: Valais Tourismus
The techno-acoustic fusion violinist, who resides in Britain, asked the Thai Olympic Committee to include her in the national team in the Olympics ski events. The committee has given the green light for Vanessa, the newspaper reported.
Vanessa-Mae is a British citizen, but has the right to Thai citizenship because her father, Vorapong Vanakorn, is a national of that country. The newspaper reported she currently has a Thai passport.
Vanessa-Mae wanted to represent Thailand in ski events at the 2002 Winter Olympics, but her dream of becoming a professional international skier did not materialize. Thai authorities at that time requested that she give up her UK passport in exchange for a Thai passport. Later bureaucratic barriers were overcome and Vanessa-Mae received her Thai passport on an exceptional basis and retained her British one as well.
There is still one barrier for her in order to participate in the Olympics. Her participation will not be set in stone until she is approved by the International Ski Federation, the newspaper reported.
In 2006, Vanessa-Mae was named the richest young artist under the age of 30 in Britain with an estimated wealth of over $64 million from record sales and concerts.
BANGKOK, July 26, 2010 (RIA Novosti)
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