THE BRITISH LAND NATIONAL SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
MERIBEL, FRANCE.
Sunday March 26th to Friday March 27th
Full line up of British alpine skiers
For the third successive year the arena will be the Olympic
resort of Meribel in France as the British Land National Ski
Championships take to the slopes for the week starting on
Sunday 26th March, running through until Friday 31st March.
After two successful years the choice of returning to a resort
which is so popular with British snowsports enthusiasts was
an easy one. As well as the snowsure slopes and excellent
race facilities and infrastructure, the presence of a large,
holidaying British population to witness the action as the
up and coming stars of British ski racing attempt to upstage
the established names and land the coveted British titles,
is an important factor.
The Olympics are a memory which is still fresh and vital
not only to those who were there competing in the GBR colours,
but to the emerging athletes who feel they should have been
there too.
Through the race season they rarely get the chance to have
a go at the top names, Alain and Noel Baxter, Finlay Mickel,
Chemmy Alcott and James Leuzinger, in real race conditions
in a full scale FIS race, so the British Land National Ski
Championships are their one big chance to make their claim
stick.
Noel Baxter (24, Aviemore) defends the overall title for
the third successive year. With a 14th in the Olympic combined
and having just finished 13th overall on the Europa Cup tour,
as well as 5th in a FIS giant slalom, Noel's form across the
for title disciplines promises to be his strongest ever.
Even so he will have his hands full trying to combat the
attack from Finlay Mickel (28, Edinburgh) who starts as favourite
in Downhill and Super G and whose Giant Slalom skills should
be enough for a top five. Fin's weakness is when he swaps
the downhill skis for a very rare outing on what he calls
'the disco boards' - slalom skis - but the overall title might
be decided by how well he fares in next Friday's Men's Slalom.
Olympian Roger Cruickshank (23, Banchory) who won his heroic
battle back from injury to get to race at the Olympics in
Sestriere, announced his retirement at the end of the Games,
but he will make a swansong appearance at the championships
and will be looking to inflict a final parting defeat on his
chum Mickel on a course which is a great leveller for Super
G and Downhill.
Andy Noble (21, Edinburgh) has shown great form recently
and came close to Olympic selection. He has posted seven top
10 results in international FIS races over the past six weeks
in Slalom and Giant Slalom and is the skier most likely to
provide an upset to the usual suspects in the Slalom and Giant
Slalom.
The women's contest should theoretically see Chemmy Alcott
(23, Twickenham) dominate in all four disciplines. She has
vowed to return to concentrate equally on the technical disciplines
as much as her downhill and super G in the four years leading
to Vancouver. Lynn Sharp (20, Glasgow) has made a strong comeback
this season after successfully appealing against de-selection
last spring. She has scored consistently in FIS slaloms this
season and should give Chemmy a run for her money in showdown
for the title Lynn won last year when Chemmy was out injured.
For the up and coming skiers there is more at stake that
the titles. At the championships the destination of an exciting
new award from worldwide couriers Citylink will be announced.
While it will not be based on performance at the championships
it will be based on talent, recent performance and long term
potential as well as the professional approach and commitment
of the athlete.
The winner of the award must not be a recipient of direct
UK Sport Lottery funding.
Worth £7500 per year for each of the next four years,
the individual will effectively reduce their financial worries
for the course of a full Olympic cycle.
The championships will have a very different, upbeat and
exciting vibe with a new championships village built in the
finish area which will host a wide array of sponsors and supporters
products and services. Welcoming the growing number of spectators
to the finish areas, there will be a series of complementary
events offering hot food, vin chaud, breakfast on the piste,
to accompany the action. This will be the 28th year of support
for these British Land National Ski Championships by The British
Land Company PLC with the recently knighted Sir John Ritblat,
President of Snowsport GB, expected in Meribel to enjoy what
is always a personal highlight of his active ski season.
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