Day 3, Womens Giant Slalom and Mens Slalom
(MERIBEL, Tuesday) It was a day for experienced heads and tactical racing at The British Land National Ski Championships in Meribel, France as further heavy snowfall, intermittent visibility and variable temperatures presented extremely testing racing conditions for the Womens Giant Slalom and the Mens Slalom.
Chemmy Alcott built herself a substantial lead over the first run when the snow surface was at its most solid and was able to consolidate with her second run to ensure she retained the Giant Slalom title which she won here last year.
It is the ninth time in 12 years that Alcott has won the womens foundation discipline after winning the overall British title as a 15 year old junior.
Her closest rival Louise Thomas (West Horsley, Surrey), runner up to Alcott last year, and winner of Mondays Super G title, straddled a gate and failed to complete the first run.
Alex Tilley (Banff), of the Scottish Alpine Ski Team, who has trained part of this winter on the east coast of the USA finished an excellent.
It was a shame that Louise did not finish. My first run was good, but it was not easy. It was very bumpy and icy in places. And its good to win, but at the moment, really, every day that I finish injury free I am thankful.
Super G and Super Combined have been my best at World Cup and even with my 11th in Are, GS has been a bit hit or miss. It is a bit of a confidence thing and partly technical. There is something which I have been doing for 27 years that needs addressed and so I will be going back to foundations in the summer. Alcott reported.
Conditions overhead and under foot had deteriorated for the Mens Slalom which saw nearly half of the 110 racers eliminated by a testing first run. 2009 champion David Ryding (Bretherton, Lancs) looked set to retain the title after he had built himself a lead of 0.93 of a second. But Ryding, who made his Olympic debut last month, was unable to convert, allowing Noel Baxter (Aviemore) to score his fourth Mens Slalom championship victory.
I definitely had a better rhythm and feel on the second run and skied much better. On the first run everything was going on, the conditions were pretty dreadful. There was even snow sticking to my goggles. But on the second I was prepared to take the risks and it paid off.
Said Baxter,
To be honest winning the title was not high on my list of goals after the season we have all had. I really am ready to finish the season here and now. I am just empty of motivation.
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