VAL D'ISERE, FRANCE.
After high, buffeting winds and malicious,
unpredictable weather hampered
what proved to be a controversial downhill run
here yesterday when she
finished a frustrating 32nd - frustratingly close to
crucial world cup
points - Chemmy Alcott (23, Twickenham/The British Land
Alpine Ski Team)
relished the much improved conditions today as she skied to
17th place in
the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Super G.
The
heavy snowfall and strong winds, which blighted yesterday's downhill
and
caused it to be halted not long after Alcott ran, were replaced by
sunshine
and lighter breezes, but the depth of fresh snow on Val d'Isere's
famous OK
course meant there was no room for error, and venturing off the
racing line
was summarily punished as speed was scrubbed off in the
new
snow.
After missing races and training last season due to her foot
and rib
injuries Alcott's main target in these early season world cup races
is to
get herself back into the Top 30 to regularly benefit from an earlier
start
number. Racing 36 today was no significant disadvantage and Alcott
skied an
attacking run, holding her tuck well through the rolling sections
and
skiing a tight line, to finish 1.26 seconds off with winning time set
by
veteran Michaela Dorfmeister who lead an Austrian 1-2.
"That's
another cool result because I still did not feel I skied all that
well, but I
do think that maybe I am starting to get my feeling back for my
skis which
has to be good. I was a bit angry with myself at the top of the
course
because I felt I was being too hard on my edges in the soft snow,
something I
am not good at, and I don't ski so well when I am angry." Said
Alcott, whose
ninth career Top 20 world cup this is.
"It is not really my type of course. I
definitely prefer it tougher, but
it's still a good result. Overall I am
happy with that because I don't feel
I have skied well yet this season, which
for me is good because I want to
be getting steadily better going into the
Olympics."
Yesterday's controversy - many of the international racers
believing the
downhill should not have gone ahead - was still simmering
today. Alcott
admitted that she was keen to race, although she later admitted
her coach
Geri Greber believed it was very marginal.
"It is a
difficult one, because the race should be run for everyone, and
that means
the girls at the back who are looking for their first world cup
points as
much as those who are in with a chance of winning. It has to be
an even race
for everyone, or they should not run it." She believes.
Audi FIS Alpine
Ski World Cup, Val d'Isere: Women's Super G: 1 M
Dorfmeister (AUT) 1:17.59, 2
A Meissnitzer (AUT) 1:18.05, 3 E Brydon
(CAN) 1:18.15, 4= L Kildow (USA) 4= F
Aufdenblatten (SUI) 1:18.26, 6 K
Vanderbeek (CAN) 1:18.28, GBR: 17= C Alcott
(Twickenham/The British Land
Alpine Ski Team) 17= N Fanchini (ITA)
1:18.85.
Ends