Alain Baxter, dubbed 'The Highlanderı by the European sports press for his unprecedented British success on skiingıs World Cup circuit and Johnny Moulder-Brown will have points to prove next week at the rescheduled British Alpine Championships in Saalbach.

Britain started the season in good shape with, for the first time ever, no fewer than six skiers ranked in the Worldıs Top 100. Now also thanks to Baxterıs four World Cup top ten slalom finishes, including last weekendıs best ever fourth place at the World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden to finish the season as the most consistent and the most improved World Cup skier, he will finish with a World Cup ranking of 11, the highest ever end of season ranking for a British World Cup slalom skier.

It has been a tough season for Emma Carrick-Anderson the 25 yo heading the British Women's Team, although she still scored World Cup points in Semmering, Italy.

Chemmy Alcott, still only 18 finished 5th overall in the World Junior Championships in Verbier and as well as reaching the Olympic qualification zone in three disciplines. In addition Finlay Mickel is ranked 57 in downhill, Moulder-Brown is 59 in Slalom and Amanda Pirie is 90 in Super G.

Next week all six Top 100 ranked skiers will join up with the full complement of other skiers from the team for the Alpine Championships. As well as these rising and established British stars, there will be a chance to check on progress of the other future hopes ­ many of them aiming for Olympic selection for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin.

Snow conditions are not ideal in Saalbach-Hinterglemm so the weekıs programme is under review. The main championship Slalom now takes place on Thursday 22nd, when Baxter will be racing for his fifth British Slalom title. The following day he will race for his sixth Giant Slalom championship title.