British halfpipe skier Rowan Cheshire has withdrawn, external from the 2014 Winter Olympics following a fall in training on Sunday.

The 18-year-old suffered concussion as a result of the fall and spent the night in hospital under observation.

Team GB chief medical officer Niall Elliott said: "With a concussion injury there needs to be a rest period followed by a graduated return to play phase. The timescale is unfortunately too tight for Rowan."

Emma Lonsdale will now be the sole GB entrant in the women's competition.

"With my limited experience at my age - I only started training six months ago - I'm just glad I made it down," says Vanessa-Mae. "It was rock and roll at times - I nearly crashed out three times - but I'm happy. I grew up in London so I'm afraid I brought the weather with me." It has been raining in Sochi today.

So downhill gold medallist Tina Maze of Slovenia leads the way after the first of two runs in the women's giant slalom. She holds a 0.52-second lead over Sweden's Jessica Lindell-Vikarby with Italian Nadia Fanchini third.

You can see the second run at 09:00 GMT via the video stream. Times will be added together to determine the medallists.

Steve Cram
BBC Sport curling commentator

"The Olympic dream is still on. Just two more ends to go."

We're back level in the Ice Cube Curling Centre as GB skip David Murdoch gains control of the end and conjures up two shots to make it 4-4. We're into a two-end shootout, folks, with Norway having the hammer - the final stone - in end nine. Oh the tension.

Nick Hope
BBC Sport at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park in Sochi

"Ominous-looking clouds and fog heading our way. I get the feeling we could be heading for a postponement if there isn't a helpful gust of wind to move it along as visibility is deteriorating rapidly.

"Two-time world champion Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin of Austria is out. As ever with snowboard cross, anyone could finish in the medals today."

Ed Leigh
BBC Sport snowboarding and freestyle skiing commentator

"There is a lot of new talent appearing in this event and it is a period of transition. The Spaniards are one of the emerging nations. They train in Sierra Nevada but whatever they are doing, they are doing it right."

Another blanked end in the tie-breaker between Great Britain and Norway with the latter retaining a two-shot lead. Skip David Murdoch retains the hammer for end eight, but we're fast running out of ends.

Nick Hope
BBC Sport at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park in Sochi

"It may be chucking it down here in the mountains, but the Aussies and Russians are out in force to support their athletes.

"Leading Australian medal prospect Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin is through to the quarter-finals, as is team-mate Jarryd Hughes.

"Lots of athletes struggling to get to grips with the wet conditions which is slowing their pace. USA medal contender Nate Holland is an early casualty."

American Trevor Jacobs, Australian pair Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin and Cameron Bolton and Frenchman Pierre Vaultier are among the riders who have safely advanced from the first round to the men's snowboard cross quarter-finals which take place shortly.

But American veterans Nate Holland and Nick Baumgartner are out.

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort in Sochi

"Violinist Vanessa-Mae goes better than the likes of American star Julia Mancuso in that she makes it to the bottom, but is a whopping 26 seconds behind which puts her last by seven seconds. BBC commentator Graham Bell says: 'I reckon some of the celebs I coached in The Jump could do better than that. Laura Hamilton and Steve Redgrave could definitely do better.'"

Image source, Getty Images

It's slow, it's steady, but Vanessa-Mae stays upright as she negotiates the tight bends in the top section. The 35-year-old gathers some speed in the bottom section.

"There are some good turns there," says BBC commentator Emma Carrick-Anderson. She crosses the line 26.98 seconds off the pace. That's good enough for 74th and last of the finishers. But at least she finished - 15 others didn't manage to do that.

Want to see a classical violinist on skis in the giant slalom? Vanessa-Mae is up next. Fire up the video stream at the top of the page.

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort in Sochi

"American 18-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin, the slalom world champion, is content with her fifth place after run one, just ahead of 2010 Olympic giant slalom gold medallist Viktoria Rebensburg.

"'I like racing in the rain,' said Shiffrin. 'I've done a bunch of rainy races before so those were preparation. The surface is pretty good. You just can't push too hard on the turns.'

"Team-mate Julia Mancuso has no excuses after skiing out on the bottom section. 'I couldn't really see the course so it was all about feeling,' she said. 'The snow is soft on the bottom. Skiing in the rain is fun. It makes it difficult and exciting. You have to fight a little harder.'"

GB blank the sixth end (no-one scores) to keep the hammer (control of the final stone) for the seventh. The score stays at 4-2 with four ends remaining.

If you can't find Vanessa-Mae on the start list, that's because she is down as Vanessa Vanakorn.

"I have many, many different cultures in my life but one that I have never kind of celebrated before was my Thai side," she said.

"So to compete under my natural father's surname 'Vanakorn', Vanessa Vanakorn will be my name when skiing, is just really fun because I celebrated the British side, I was born in Singapore but it's the first time I get to enjoy the Thai side here."

Vanessa-Mae appreciates she won't be anywhere near a medal, but adds that she just wants "to have a good time".

"If I end up last I have no problem with that," she said. "I know that I spent six months training. Other athletes have been training since they were six years old so that's something you can't compare.

"Six months training with, I don't know, decades of training, so I just want to have a good time. I want to have two fun runs that I can say I'll remember for the rest of my life."

Image source, AP

The leading runners head off first in the women's giant slalom, but it's a skier towards the rear of the field who will draw the most attention.

Vanessa-Mae, the classic violinist who has sold more than 10 million records worldwide, has been skiing since she was four but is currently the lowest-ranked racer in the field having just scraped through qualifying.

The 35-year-old, who was born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and Thai father, was brought up in England but will be only the third person to represent Thailand at the Winter Olympics.

You can be promised thrills and spills in the men's snowboard cross which has just got under way. The event was postponed yesterday because of fog but there are no such problems today, although there is plenty of rain about which will cause its own problem. I've just heard someone describe the texture of the snow as "porridge-like".

The seeding rounds have been cancelled so we are straight into the knockout stage which sees seven heats of five riders and one of four with the top three in each to advance to the quarter-finals. America's Nate Holland and Australia's Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin are among the leading challengers. You can watch that event via a video stream at the top of the page.

Nick Hope
BBC Sport at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park in Sochi

"It's a damp day here in the mountains and there is still some fog around this morning, but as it stands not enough to delay the men's snowboard cross any further.

"The event was cancelled yesterday and as a result we're doing away with the seedings round and we're straight into knockout action.

"There are 34 competitors and three medals up for grabs."