SnowsportGB Newsletter Volume 06
Snowboard
Lesley McKenna proved the bright spot amongst a mixed collection
of results from the Snowboard World Championships which took
place between the 11th and the 20th of January 2007 in Arosa,
Switzerland.
McKenna rode to a career best World Championships result
of 8th in the Women's Halfpipe, Britain's best placing of
the championships. Conditions were not easy; the mild weather
left the pipe soft and difficult, but the experience and tenacity
of the former world number 1 proved important.
Following the decision in the Summer by the funding bodies
to withdraw her funding, Lesley is still riding as a member
of the British snowboard team, but is working to her own,
independent programme, mostly without a coach. So she paid
a glowing tribute to her close friend and former British team
rider Melanie Leandro, who she spent several years on the
road with as a formidable duo in the early years of her snowboard
career. Melanie was with Lesley throughout the event and helped
to keep her relaxed and objective.
"It was tough because conditions were not easy and in
reality I think the organisers did a great job getting the
event completed." McKenna reported, "The pipe was
quite soft and that meant you really had to keep your head
about you. I had a lot of help from Melanie who knows me so
well and just made sure I didn't overcook the broth as I am
prone to do. I just concentrated on keeping my tricks clean
and going big."
"I am pleased. I know I am still a good snowboarder.
Unlike last year I came with not much in the way of expectations
and most importantly with no injury and not coming back from
injury."
"Last year there was just too much expectation and it
was just not realistic. So I am just stoked. I rode clean
and just concentrated on my standard tricks. The difference
here is that I did not crash in a major event, as I have been
prone to do, so I am happy."
"It is a good result for me." Lesley confirmed
this week after moving on to Laax, "Realistically it
is the first time for me that I am mostly riding pain free.
It still comes and goes a little. It has been tough to get
here, hours and hours of physio, you don't wreck your ankle
like I did and get back here without hours of hard work, but
you really have to be patient."
"But still I just want to be back at the top of the
hill with the confidence of knowing I can go all out to win
world cups. I still need a pretty big dose of self confidence.
This is such a head game. I am sure it will come but I don't
want to put myself under too much pressure."
In the Women's Snowboardcross, Zoe Gillings finished 20th
in just her second major FIS event of the season after her
3rd in the Kaprun Europa Cup. James Foster was the best of
the British men in Men's Snowboardcross in 52nd. Sam Cullum,
19, finished 38th in the Men's Big Air before riding to the
best British result in the Men's Halfpipe with a commendable
Top 30 (28th) while Dan Wakeham finished 35th.
Alpine
 The
weekend of 20-21st January 2007 was a tough one for the leading
British downhillers. In Val d'Isere a couple of small errors
cost Finlay Mickel the half second which would have vaulted
him into the top 15, but after some disappointing races recently
Mickel was glad to have made points with his 25th place.
“I did not feel like I had made too many mistakes and
had a reasonable run with some good skiing,” said Finlay
who, like Chemmy Alcott in Cortina, raced with bib number
2, “but as soon as I was down then a couple of guys
were straight in ahead of me and I knew it could have been
better.
For Alcott, 28th matched up to her recently reviewed expectations.
She admits that a recent blip required her to sit down with
her coaching staff and modify her expectations.
“We just felt that I had to be more realistic and
maybe surpass these goals, rather than go out and hope to
do well every time. It has been a vicious cycle for me all
along and I need to break that and just be consistent.”
“I have had a bit of a technical issue with dragging
my inside ski. That is just something in my head and I feel
that I am getting over that.”
And this week former British women’s champion Lynn
Sharp made a successful first competitive outing marking her
return from a bad knee injury sustained last March at the
British Championships in Meribel, France.
In heavy falling snow and difficult conditions Lynn skied
to 12th place in an international FIS Slalom in Vars, France.
“I am not back at the level that I was before I injured
myself, but I was pleased to be close to it. I was determined
not to come back into racing too early and to make sure I
was ready.” Said Sharp.
Next weekend will see the start of the 2007 World Ski Championships
in Åre , Sweden where snow conditions are reported to
be excellent according to Svein Mundal, Technical Delegate
for the men’s events.
The team selected by SnowsportGB is Alain Baxter (33), Noel
Baxter (25), Finlay Mickel (29) and top female skier Chemmy
Alcott (24).
Disability Snowsports
At the recent Huntsman Cup in Park City, Utah Sean Rose and
Liz Miller put in strong performances demonstrating the difference
improved funding makes. Rose, who is a TASS (Talented Athlete
Scholarship Scheme) 2012 athlete secured a 2nd place in the
Giant Slalom and was twice 4th in another Giant Slalom and
Slalom race. Commenting on his result, Rose said: “I
can’t believe this result, these guys were putting 2-3
seconds on me last year! The TASS 2012 funding has allowed
me to travel, train harder and our extended pre-season coaching
sessions in Austria have paid off this year!”
Lack of snow in Italy (Mt Baldo) has meant the cancellation
of the scheduled European Cup Races which have been rescheduled
for the beginning of February.This has provided an alternative
(if unusual) opportunity for some members of the squad to
get in some additional training by attending the 24hr Formula
Charity event in Villars, Switzerland. Open to both able bodied
and disabled ski teams, the BBC’s Ski Sunday Team were
in attendance looking to capture some of the unique spectacles
an event of this nature provides.
This also provides and opportunity to raise awareness for
DisabilitySnowsport UK,the over arching charity within which
BAST forms a key part.
Other News
The Ski Club of Great Britain has announced that it’s
membership has increased to over 31,500 members for the first
time in it’s history, and this figure is mirrored by
the ski club’s website www.skiclub.co.uk which continues
to go from strength to strength. December 2006 was the website’s
busiest ever month with over 300,000 unique visitors and 5
million page impressions.
|
