AND THEN I SAY “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS”

Albert Grimaldi, also known as Prince Albert, the heir to the throne of Monaco, will be 40 on March 14 and is back for his fourth Olympics. He is still enjoying the experience, living in the athletes’ village again, renewing his friendship with Alberto Tomba, preparing to pilot Monaco’s four-man bobsled team, having given up the two-man because, “The older you get, the more desirous you are of having more people helping push [the bobsled] for you [at the start].”

Given the demands of his position in Monaco, his comparatively limited practice time and the relative inexperience of his team, the Prince said he would be satisfied to finish anywhere between 20th and 25th, which is a little better than he generally finishes.

Asked if his team, including a food and beverage manager and casino dealer, had trouble relating to royalty, the Prince laughed and said, “They know what my life is all about, but we talk about the same things all athletes talk about. . . . They don’t hesitate to say if a run was a good run or could have been better, and I accept constructive criticism.”