Chemmy Alcott 9th in Europa Cup GS
Having narrowly missed out on qualifying for the World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden, Chemmy Alcott has already proved that her trip to the Europa Cup Finals instead will prove a worthwhile one when she yesterday placed ninth in the Women’s Giant Slalom, scoring her strongest FIS points result in the discipline and her best ever Europa Cup finish in the discipline.
Racing in difficult conditions, after a lot of new snow had fallen, Chemmy was the only skier starting outside the top 30 - she started bib 41 – to qualify for the second run.
Lying 30th after the first run, she took full advantage of starting first down the second run on Flachau’s Hermann Maier World Cup track and unleashed the quickest second run by a matter of over half a second, to finish just 1.48 seconds behind Austria’s winner, Silvia Berger.
“I am pretty happy with that result, but still feeling frustrated I can’t pull together two good runs in giant slalom. Still, I have never won a second run at Europa Cup before, so that was new and fun. I am not sure what the problem is really. It is not like I am making mistakes on the first run, I am just not quick and probably too cautious. When I’ve done that and feel there is nothing to lose then I put down a good second run. The good thing, I guess, is that I know that when I can pump in two good runs there will certainly be fireworks,” recalled Chemmy today, “I really want to get back to the technical skiing now. I am so quick in the summer in training but now that seems so long ago. I want to just make one more good downhill result and then pack it away for a while and concentrate on my technical skiing.”
In Are, Sweden the British Land Alpine Ski Team’s leading downhiller Finlay Mickel produced hope that Are can continue its record for producing British bests.
Alain Baxter’s career best world cup fourth was here five years ago and Martin Bell’s career best world cup fifth was here 20 years ago. Today Finlay trained fifth quickest on the first day of downhill training.
For further information please contact the SnowsportGB office on 0131-445-7676; press@snowsportgb.com
