Snowsport GB 2007-03-30 16:07:00
True to the form book Finlay Mickel and
Chemmy Alcott collected the Men’s and Women’s downhill titles today, as Meribel
served up near perfect conditions for the first races of the ten days of
competition which comprise the annual British Land National Ski Championships
which are taking place in the 1992 Olympic resort for the fourth consecutive
year.
Mickel
(30, Edinburgh) claims he had an advantage racing 11th down the Du Corbey track.
Hearing exactly what his younger rivals who started earlier had done on the
course meant he knew just where he could push hard, and where he could afford
to ease up a little.
He won the
title by 0.73 of a second ahead of Dougie Crawford and was quick to pay tribute
to the younger Scottish skier: “I knew from the reports of what the other guys
had done just where I could afford to apply the handbrake a little. This is not
an easy course, there are a couple of big 180 degree turns and so you have to set
up well, and this was perhaps to my advantage. This season really has brought
it home to me how much I need more British guys out on the World Cup circuit
with me. Even besides having someone pushing you, just having other guys around
as mates to spend time with an talk about stuff with is important. I’ve not had
that great a season and, with a lot going on at home, it would have been good
to have other British guys around to be with. Dougie skied well today and
definitely has what it takes to do well in downhill.” Said Mickel, who took
time out in February after the World Championships for the birth of his son.
“The good thing today is that it was a proper downhill, with a good set to the
course which really made the best of the hill, so it was a good test for
everyone.”
Crawford
(20, Bearsden, Glasgow) narrowly pipped Noel Baxter (26, Aviemore) for second
place, just one tenth of a second clear of Baxter who finished 14th in the
Olympic combined event last year and 15th in the World Championships Slalom
last month. Crawford went on to win the British Junior Men’s Downhill title
from the second downhill raced today. “I was pleased with the way I skied in
the first run, getting inside a second behind Finlay on that course is good for
me. I skied a couple of good downhills recently and that meant I started
feeling pretty confident today, knowing I could stand on the ski with good
speed.” Said Crawford.
Third for
Baxter, who holds the overall Combined title, was something of a
disappointment: “ I was just not really on it this morning. I felt like it was
a training run and I was not really confident I could do what I wanted to do.”
Explained Baxter.
Chemmy
Alcott won the women’s title with 2.6 seconds in hand over Pam Thorburn (21,
Strathaven, Lanarkshire). “I think the result today is a fair one. It is a
tough course and there is always pressure on me here. It sounds daft even after
all these years, but people expect me to come and not just win, but do so by a
long way just because I have been doing well at world cup, but the truth is
that on their day any of these girls can have their day and you never really
know what will happen, so I am always pleased to win here.” Said Alcott.
Sophie
Readman (18, Stirling) finished fourth and went on to win the Junior Women’s
Downhill title.
Results:
The British Land National Ski Championships, Meribel, France:
|
Downhill: |
|||
|
Men |
|||
|
1 |
F Mickel |
(Edinburgh/The
British Land Alpine Ski Team) |
1:24.76 |
|
2 |
D
Crawford |
(Bearsden/The
British Land Alpine Ski Team) |
1:25.49 |
|
3 |
N Baxter |
(Aviemore/The
British Land Alpine Ski Team) |
1:25.59 |
|
4 |
E Drake |
(Teddington/The
British Land Alpine Ski Team) |
1:26.96 |
|
5 |
G
Samuels |
(Great
Missenden, Berks/British Home Nations Ski Team) |
1:27.05 |
|
Women: |
|||
|
1 |
C Alcott |
(Twickenham/The
British Land Alpine Ski Team) |
1:28.19 |
|
2 |
P
Thorburn |
(Strathaven/The
British Land Alpine Ski Team) |
1:30.79 |
|
3 |
L Sharp |
(Glasgow/The
British Land Alpine Ski Team) |
1:31.39 |
|
4 |
S
Readman |
(Stirling/The
British Home Nations Team) |
1:31.99 |
|
5 |
R
O’Neill |
(Chatham/English
Alpine Ski Team) |
1:33.60 |
|
|
|||
|
Junior Downhill: |
|||
|
Men: |
|||
|
1 |
D
Crawford |
|
1:27.38 |
|
2 |
G
Samuels |
|
1:27.46 |
|
3 |
P Whelan |
(Uxbridge/The
British Home Nations Team) |
1:24.47. |
|
Women: |
|||
|
1 |
S
Readman |
|
1:31.74 |
|
2 |
M Piper |
(Perth/The
British Home Nations Team) |
1:32.96 |
|
3 |
R
O’Neill |
|
1:34.09 |