Recent News
| Treblecone & Cardrona Races |
| August 3rd 2013 |
Jet lag, a nasty cold, new regulation GS skis, new boots and being a considerable number of weeks' training behind the New Zealand girls (who began training at the start of June) took its toll.
I failed to finish either of the Slalom races in Treblecone on what was an extremely tough course on both days. I didn't finish the first run of the first day but managed to complete the first run on day 2, only to crash in the second run. The course was difficult; only 19 out of 36 finished on day 1 and just 16 out of 35 finished on day 2 - and Australian girl, Rebecca Brown, broke her leg in just her 2nd FIS race! This is not something I have previously witnessed in a slalom race. Rebecca, whilst a 1997-born athlete and new to FIS racing, is very experienced in international ski racing and I was shocked by her injury - I hope she is feeling OK now and that she is back on her skis soon.
This was followed by 2 days of GS races in Cardrona. The usual controversy surrounded the races here with the usual start delays in the first and second runs on both days (huge on the first day) and timing issues on day 1 resulting in the use of back-up timing for several athletes. The timing issues caused me a lot of grief; having finished 30th in the first run on day 1, I was expecting to go out 1st in the second run only to discover, as I arrived ready to start the second run, that somone else had been inserted in front of me and I actually went out 31st, thereby negating the advantage that 30th place should have given me. Again, this is not something I have previously experienced. It was a real lost opportunity. Some factors within and some factors outside of my control meant that I was unable to capitalise on a very low-scoring race that had been set very open, almost like a Super-G course.
The second day was not anything like as good for points because it was set much more technically; a longer course with tighter turns - this suited me (well it would have done if I had been using the old GS skis which many of my competitors were doing, including the winner). Where most of my competitors scored 15-30 points more in the second race I scored 4 points less. In the final analysis, however, I was pleased to finish both races with sub-100 points on the new 35m radius GS skis. I think it was better to have bitten the bullet as far as the new skis are concerned because they will be obligatory.
I am beginning my new season alongside the girls from New Zealand who are half way through theirs and I need to be mindful of this. I am going to return to training on Monday with renewed vigour after a couple of days r & r!
Excitingly, it has been pointed out to me that I am the only female (and possibly also the only male) who has competed in the last race of the 2012/13 season and also in the first of the 2013/14 season! This despite the fact that there were more races on the FIS schedule for both seasons but those other races were cancelled. |
