GB Snowsports athletes added another four podiums during February contributing to what could be become the most successful UK ski and snowboard season in history.
At the top of the class is Snowboard Cross Crystal Globe holder Charlotte Bankes (pictured). She recorded her second World Cup victory at the Cortina d’Ampezzo World Cup in Italy in early February. It was her first World Cup win in Cortina and moved her up to second in the season’s overall standings, behind Chloé Trespeuch of France. Britain’s Huw Nightingale took 41st place in the men’s races.
Fresh from their X Games heroics, snowboarders Kirsty Muir and Zoe Atkin both returned to the World Cup podium at the Mammoth Mountain Freestyle World Cup in the USA in early January.
Muir took second place in the Slopestyle competition, while Atkin also took a silver medal with a huge score of 92.75 in the Freeski Halfpipe, only just beaten by China’s Kexin Zhang with 93.50.
The success continued for the skiers with Laurie Taylor securing a career best World Cup result in the Chamonix Slalom World Cup over the first weekend of February.
He ended the weekend in 23rd position. GB’s No1 skier Dave Ryding was pushing hard until he straddled a gate and prematurely ended his race.
Billy Major was unlucky not to qualify, finishing just outside the second run qualification spots.
The British Children’s Ski Team returned from successful race camps in Andorra and Folgaria with excellent results under their belts.
There were podiums for Alice Bond (U14 Slalom) and George Brown (U16 Slalom) and top-10s for Bond (U14 GS), Rugus Wontner (U14 GS), Brooke Baxter (U16 Slalom), Michael McIntosh (U16 Slalom), Quinn Bias-Derry (U16 Slalom), Zak Carrick-Smith (U16 Slalom and GS), Freddy Carrick-Smith (U16 Slalom and GS), Katie Saunders (U16 GS), and Ryan Faber (U14 Slalom).
These were among the highlights of competitions which saw Britain take third (Andorra) and seventh (Folgaria) to demonstrate the strength of Britain’s young Alpine talent.
Categories: Racing