

Athletes riding their luck in Torino by Lincoln Archer for CNN

Hosp has a lucky pig sending her positive vibes. RELATED SPECIAL REPORT  Quiz: Torino 2006 Quiz Medal Tracker  Special: Winter Olympics 2006 YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Winter Olympics Skiing Nicole Hosp Lindsey Kildow or or Create Your Own TORINO, Italy -- There is a pig living a peaceful existence in the Austrian alpine village of Bichlbach, a little cold perhaps, but otherwise perfectly happy. For now. This pig is blissfully unaware, living in its sty surrounded by bucolic splendor, that its days are numbered. The animal was given to its owner, Austrian skier Nicole Hosp, as a lucky charm by Hosp's sister Sonja. Hosp is hoping the swine will bring her mountains of luck as she swoops down the slopes of San Sicario, and for the remainder of the World Cup skiing season. And after that, she is going to eat it. "What else would you do with a pig?" she said during a break from competition. But Hosp also sees a more mystical reason for eating the Lucky Osterhase, or "luck Easter bunny", as the pig is known, than merely the prospect of ham, bacon and pork in plentiful supply. "That way I'll have its luck inside me for the next year," she said. That which gives the pig its power, it seems, also seals its fate. Hosp is not the only athlete with an animal in her corner. U.S. skier Lindsey Kildow is said to have a lucky cow, which was being moved from Austria to France to be closer to Kildow as she competes. Kildow has not yet said what lies in store for the cow after the completion of the Games. Presumably, however, it could not be allowed to remain in Austria lest it receive word of the future awaiting Hosp's talisman. The efficacy of Kildow's cow is a matter of some conjecture. The 21-year-old from Colorado spectacularly crashed out of training for the women's downhill event, all but crushing her hopes for a medal. On the other hand, believers in such things could argue that Kildow was extremely lucky to have emerged from such a heavy fall with only minor injuries. Barely 24 hours after being taken off the course on a stretcher, she was out of hospital and preparing to ski the event after all. Russian biathlete Olga Pyleva was seen cuddling a white furry toy known as a "Cheburashka" after winning silver in her first ever Olympic race, but her luck turned dramatically for the worse when she was stripped of the medal after failing a drug test. Russian officials said a doctor who treated Pyleva for an ankle injury in Siberia in January gave her a medication that contained the banned stimulant carphedon but did not list it among its ingredients. "It's a shocking situation," Pyleva told Russian television, "because I've always been against using banned medications. "What's happened now is just monstrous stupidity." Unlucky 17 The amulets and trinkets were out in force among the superstitious in Italy on day seven of competition, the 17th of February. In Italy, the 17th has the negative power wielded by the number 13 in other countries. By coincidence -- or is it? -- day seven fell on Friday the 17th. One Torino taxi driver who spoke to AP ran to touch a metal gate, the Italian version of touching wood, after hearing mention of the alignment of day and date. "I once had a motorcycle accident at 17:17 on Friday 17, how can I not believe in it?" he said, although adding that he did not carry a charm to protect him. "I just try to be more careful on such a day." The mystique surrounding 17 is said to have developed from its depiction in Roman numerals as XVII. This is an anagram of "vixi", which in Latin is roughly translated as "I died." Out of deference to the superstition, turn 17 at the sledding track at Cesana is the only one without a nickname. Nevertheless, many competitors have come to grief on the course, crashing out on a track some describe as treacherous but that officials call "challenging." Time to call in the pigs. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.