Finlay Mickel makes best-ever start
Britain’s No 1 downhill skier claims 19th place in first World Cup downhill
TWO weeks ago Britain’s No 1 downhill racer, Finlay Mickel, damaged ankle ligaments playing football with friends at home in Edinburgh.
Yesterday (Saturday), after an intensive therapy, Mickel claimed his best-ever start to a World Cup season by earning 19th place in Canada despite still having a swollen foot.
The 28-year-old used a bigger ski boot in the race at Lake Louise but he finished only 1.17 seconds behind the winner, Fritz Strobl, from Austria, the current Olympic champion.
Mickel – nicknamed Quick Mick - beat a number of leading racers and recorded the fastest time on the last part of the slope.
The Scot, who finished 11th in the World Championship downhill race last season at Bormio in Italy, the best result for a British skier, is now optimistic about the rest of his World Cup campaign.
Mickel said: “I’m satisfied with my first race, but I want more and I know I can go faster.�
He praised his new management team which is headed by Italian-based sports manager Andreas Goller who also looks after the interests of Italian ski hero Kristian Ghedina.
Goller said:
“Great Britain has over two million skiers with most of them travelling to Europe or North America to enjoy their sport.
A great ski champion would be very welcome in the United Kingdom and Finlay has real ability. If he continues to develop as he has been, he could become an important British sportsman in the near future.
The current World Cup season and the Olympic Games in Turin in February next year could be key to that development process.�
