SnowsportGB Newsletter 02
Latest News
* Mickel prepares for Saturday's first FIS World Cup Downhill
of the season in Lake Louise, Canada
* Snowboarding World Cup gets underway in Saas Fee
* Koyander is nominated for regional Young Sportswoman of
the year.
* Snowsport Scotland and Snowsport England vote against modernisation.
Alpine
 The
British Land Alpine Ski Team's top downhiller Finlay Mickel
starts his FIS World Cup season tomorrow (Saturday) in Lake
Louise, Canada.
After his 10th in Wengen last year on the Lauberhorn and
now with nine career Top 20's at World Cup Fin is looking
to continue his trajectory up the world cup standings in Men's
Downhill.Consistent top 20 results are his main target this
season, but on his day Fin knows he can provide a challenge
to the best.
In very bumpy conditions and flat light on Lake Louise's
Men's Olympic Downhill run on which he finished 19th last
year and 29th in 2005, Fin has some work to do to better last
year's placing, but he still had today (Friday)'s final training
run to go before race day. Fin had improved to 34th fastest
in yesterday's training run:
"I was a bit all over the place on the first day. It
is really bumpy with flat light and it was hard to get the
confidence to just keep in the tuck and keep looking for the
speed. The forecast is for the weather to be much the same
over the next few days, on and off, so there does not seem
to be any clear days expected, so this is pretty much how
it will be."
Fin improved yesterday after strapping his leg between his
abductor and hamstring to help support a muscle strain he
suffered last week when he hit a Super G gate.
"That definitely helped. All I am looking for here is
to make a good start to my season, to ski well. I am not thinking
about results or numbers or targets. I have had a few glitches
in my skiing recently so I am just trying to iron them out
and get off to a good start. It is a good course, not the
most challenging there is, but it is bumpy and it is hard
to make every turn count."
Also training along with Finlay in Lake Louise has been Noel
Baxter After his success in the Olympic combined in February
when he finished 14th, 10th in the Slalom and 25th in the
Downhill, Noel has changed his training programme to target
the World Cup Super Combined events this season. Noel trained
with Fin in South America but Beaver Creek next weekend is
likely to be his first World Cup downhill on the notorious
Birds of Prey course. His initial programme is to compete
in the first two Super Combination events in Beaver Creek
and then in Val d'Isere, but it is unlikely that Noel will
compete in Lake Louise.
"It has been good experience here. First time down I
felt like I was just finding my way. It is rough and pretty
bumpy, but really perfect training for me. At the moment I
am just learning the course, but I was 20th in some sections
so I must be doing something right!"
Noel has been racing Slalom and Giant Slalom in Canada over
the last couple of weeks, and placed 4th in the FIS Slalom
in Panorama, and 7th and 12th in Giant Slalom.
"The downhill training has been good for my Slalom and
Giant Slalom too, I am pleased with my Giant Slalom. I was
leading in the Giant Slalom and went on my hip in the second
run, so overall I am pleased with the way it is going. It
is great for me because it all feels fresh and exciting."
Alain Baxter, narrowly missed out on qualification in the
first World Cup slalom when he finished 34th in the opening
race in Levi, Finland. Finishing behind Baxter were leading
American slalom skiers Bode Miller and Ted Ligety.
Andy Noble started his season off with promising results
with three top 10 results in FIS races held in Finland. Noble
secured consecutive 5th places in Giant Slalom at Pyhaetunturi.
Snowboard
 Dan
Wakeham and Sam Cullum will compete again today (Friday) in
Saas Fee, Switzerland in the second of two FIS World Cup half
pipe events. Dan finished 37th in the first half pipe on Wednesday
and Sam, competing in his first ever FIS World Cup event,
finished in 47th . Ben Kilner did not compete after sustaining
a bad ankle sprain.
Also in Saas Fee Lesley McKenna failed to qualify for today's
finals in her first World Cup on this season's women's tour,
but made 12th overall from a field of 34 starters.
"Sam was quite nervous at his first world cup but did
as well as he could and gave it everything. Dan fell on both
runs, putting a hand down in the second, but he is on good
form." Reported British Snowboard Team coach Craig Smith
"The standard of competition is very high, but I am
sure that Dan will come back tomorrow and show us what he
can do."
Meanwhile Zoe Gillings, James Foster and Nick Dudar are all
at the Europa Cup event in Kaprun, Austria where Men's and
Women's Snowboardcross events take place this weekend.
In the preceding Europa Cup event in Saas Fee Sam Cullum
secured a creditable 14th place in the European Cup Half Pipe
event at Saas Fee, Switzerland. In the Women's Half Pipe Lesley
McKenna came 10th out of a field of twenty two competitors.
Freestyle
After picking up the local accolades of Derbyshire Dales Young
Sports Woman of the year and recognised with an Award at the
Derbyshire School Sports Association Awards, Ellie Koyander
has been selected as a finalist in the BBC (East Midlands)
Sports Awards 2006.
Ellie was delighted to have been nominated and short listed
to the final three. The winner is due to be announced later
this month at the BBC Sports Awards Ceremony to be held in
Derby.
Ellie's sport is moguls skiing which is an Olympic discipline
and she is Great Britain's no 1 female mogul skier. She is
set to compete at FIS Europa Cup level this coming season
racing against athletes honing their race skills with a similar
ambition of qualifying for the 2010 winter Olympics.
The BBC Awards will be broadcast at 9.00pm on November 27th
via live
television web cast on www.bbc.co.uk/eastmidlandstoday and
can be seen anywhere in the world. They will also be broadcast
live on BBC Radio's Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. Anyone
interested in finding out more about Ellie or her unique sponsorship
opportunities should make contact via e-mail to bumpscoach@hotmail.com
British Championships
The tour operator, Directski.com will once again sponsor the
dual slalom competition which will be raced under the floodlights
on Wednesday 28th March 2007
Wills and Co. the London based stockbroker has increased
their interest in winter sports by adding support to the British
Land National Ski championships in Meribel, France. The financial
organisation, which currently sponsor British Bobsleigh will
become a bib sponsor for the Championships and will host a
pre-downhill party on the evening of Monday 26th March 2007.
Entry forms for the championships will be available from
1st December 2006 and can be downloaded from the SnowsportGB
website.
Other News
Chemmy Alcott recently collected her trophy for being named
SnowsportGB Olympic Athlete of the Year from Sir Clive Woodward
at the offices of the British Olympic Association.
Snowsport Scotland and Snowsport England members have voted
against the proposed plans to modernise the British Ski and
Snowboard Federation. At the Scottish vote the decision was
unanimous whilst in England the vote was 730 against and 22
in favour. In Wales the vote was strongly in favour of the
proposed plans where 82% voted in favour and 18% against.
The SnowsportGB Congress and EGM are to be held on 10th December
2006 in London.
The revised British Competition Rules and the British Artificial
Competition Rules are now available on the SnowsportGB website
following the Technical Delegates (TD) forum in November.
The British Competition Rules 2006 apply with immediate effect.
Entries to the Welsh Alpine Championships in Oppdal, Norway
are now being taken and for further information interested
racers should gotowww.snowsportwales.net
SnowsportGB has launched a new fundraising initiative asking
companies to support our elite skiers and snowboarders to
help fill the funding hole created by UK Sport's decision
to reduce the funding for the next four years. The initiative
is asking British Companies to support the teams by donating
1000 per year for the next four years. A donations board will
be launched on the SnowsportGB website and at the British
Championships in Meribel.
Congratulations go to Alain and Sheila Baxter who this week
had a baby boy. Both mother and baby are reported to be well.
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