The Cotswolds | Archive | 2005 | April | 21
From the archive, first published Thursday 21st Apr 2005.
LONG Compton ski-racer Nicola Sole, aged 14, had a successful week at the British Land National Junior and Children's Ski Championships which took place in the 1992 Olympic resort of Meribel in France.
The annual championships attracted a record entry of more than 400 junior (under 19) and children racers from all over the UK including many expatriates who live in or near Europe's ski resorts.
Nicola took second place in the British Girls' Super G Championship and was on the podium again when she finished third in the British Girls' Giant Slalom Championship.
Mark Tilston, performance director of governing body Snowsport GB, said: "Over the course of this season and at British Land Junior and Children's Championships Nicola has shown some of her potential for the future. She is an excellent all-round athlete.
"There is still is a long way and a lot of hard work to be done to reach the level that the likes of Finlay Mickel, Alain Baxter and Chemmy Alcott are skiing at now on the international World Cup stage, but these top British skiers all raced at these championships a few years ago and so there is every chance that if Nicola puts in the time and effort, the rewards will come."
Aspiring and established junior ski racers chasing the three discipline titles - Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super G - as well as the overall British Combined Champion titles in two age-groups, included young British ski racers from Australia and Chile.
As well as being an important barometer reflecting the overall standard of British Alpine ski-racing these championships are a vital step in the process of selection to the British Children's Ski Team and, for those at, or entering, the junior age-groups the chance to be selected to the full- time programmes for the British Land Alpine Ski Team's junior programmes.
Conditions were particularly testing this year due to very warm weather.
This meant that the race tracks on Meribel's Du Corbey piste, which formed part of the course for the 1992 Women's Olympic Downhill, quickly became rutted and bumpy, causing a great number of unexpected spills and crashes.
Early morning starts were required to take full advantage of the cooler temperatures and to beat the fierce sunshine. It was not unusual for the first leg of the races to be completed before sunrise.
The British Land Company has been sponsor of British Alpine skiing for 28 years and has supported the British Land Junior and Children's Championships for eight years.
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