The British Land Junior Ski Championships, Day 1
8th April 2004After a 24 hour delay due to heavy snowfall, the weather cleared today to reveal perfect Spring alpine sunshine and a hard, bumpy track for what proved to be the first event of The British Land Junior National Ski Championships, Giant Slalom.
Wednesday's first discipline, Super G, was cancelled. Despite the high possibility of an upset due to the bumpy courses, which was riddled with traps for those who strayed from the optimum racing line, it was top seeds James Barock-Edwards (19, Bath) and Lynn Sharp (18, Glasgow), both members of The British Land Alpine Ski Team, who skied comfortably to their rankings to win the boys and girls titles.
Having missed the early part of his season due to disc problems in his back which virtually cancelled out the value of his nine solid weeks of fitness training in Salzburg last summer, Barcock-Edwards was pleased with the title win, but looking forward to getting home for his summer break before resuming his strength and conditioning work. He finished nearly three seconds clear of second placed Dougie Crawford (17, Bearsden) of the British Home Nations Development Squad. Crawford was second quickest of the international field to score his best giant slalom result of the season. " It's good to win here but it was not my best runs, a case of survival.
On the second run I pretty much stopped so it worked out OK." Said Barcock-Edwards who also won the same title last year on the Austrian slopes of Pitztal. "I am a bit surprised because really my Super G and Slalom have been my best disciplines, but I felt it came together today. I really made big steps with my technique last summer with my coach Gunter Puhringer and since then I have been much more confident and that is half the battle." Explained Crawford. Lynn Sharp, who won the Victrix Ludorum title for the overall champion on these same slopes only two weeks ago, added another British junior title to her career haul. Sharp (18, Glasgow) looked set for a close battle with her friend and team-mate Pam Thorburn (18, Strathven) who was just 1.21 seconds behind after the first heat, but Thorburn lost control on the final pitch and did not complete the course.
Sharp - who was fired to produce her best skiing after enjoying the place of honour at the sponsor's grand dinner the previous evening, sitting between HRH The Earl of Wessex, Patron of Snowsport GB, and John Ritblat, Chairman of The British Land Company and President of Snowsport GB, skied to a clear margin of over eight seconds. " It was job well done.
It was pretty tough and bumpy on the courses and so hard to do any good, fast technical skiing, but it is good to win. The pressure here is a bit less than the senior championships and my season ends tomorrow and I am really looking to getting home and chilling out. Although there is almost an 'end of term' air about here, there is still the slalom to come and I am looking forwards to a good race."
Results: The British Land Junior Ski Championships, Meribel, France:
Giant Slalom:
Girls:
1 L Sharp (Glasgow, The British Land Alpine Ski Team) 1:05.79, 1:05.09
2:10.88, 2 T Scilimati (Switzerland) 1:09.60, 1:08.89 2:18.49,
3 J White (Dorking) 1:10.92, 1:07.85 2:18.77.
Junior 1 Girls (Year of Birth 1987-88):
1 H Bray (East Molesey, English Alpine Ski Team) 1:10.92, 1:07.85,
2:18.77, 2 S Readman (Dunblane) 1:12.53, 1:10.84 2:23.37,
3 R O'Neill (Chatham, English Alpine Ski Team) 1:14.59, 1:10.13 2:24.72.
Men's Giant Slalom:
1 J Barcock-Edwards (Bath/The British Land Alpine Ski Team) 58.17 1:00.72 1:58.89,
2 D Crawford (Bearsden, The British Home Nations Development Team)59.87 1:00.93 2:00.80,
3 T Glasse-Davies (Gartmore, Stirlingshire/The British Land Home Nations Development Team) 59.80, 1:01.39 2:01.19.
Junior 1 Men:
1 Crawford,
2 R Duncan (Methven/The Scottish Alpine Ski Team) 1:03.12 1:04.42 2:07.54,
3 C Campbell (Italy/Scottish Alpine Ski Team) 1:03.84 1:03.75 2:07.59.