Snowboarding is the only snow sport at the Winter Olympics that does not differentiate between men and women. In the half-pipe, the women riders use exactly the same equipment, perform on the same track and attempt similar tricks to their male counterparts. It is a very physical sport and Britain's Lesley McKenna led the way in improving the training techniques. Her coach John Clark told BBC Sport Online: "Lesley was one of the first to incorporate a proper training schedule in the gym. It wasn't long before the other girls started doing the same. "At the beginning, keeping fit was a very relaxed affair but as the sport has become more professional so have the attitudes. People don't realise how fit you need to be to compete at the highest level. Riders have to have the fitness of an athlete, be prepared to take the knocks of a rugby player while performing like a ballerina."
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