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British snowsports athletes either made their luck or were left
ruing their misfortune over an eventful weekend in the European
mountains with a clutch of career best results proving the emergence
of a generation of young talent.
McKenna bounces back
While Lesley McKenna may not have managed the hoped for fairytale
ending to her recovery from injury, failing to qualify for the final
at the Nokia FIS Snowboard World Cup Finals in Bardonecchia. Italy,
in collecting 180 points for her 11th place, the feisty Cairngorm
bred rider finishes the season in third place on the final world
rankings.
Harrington personal best
British team rider Dom Harrington, 19 (Leeds) scored a career best
seventh place in the floodlit city centre World Cup Big Air event
in Turin yesterday evening. Harrington made an error on one of his
jumps and could have finished higher but the British Snowboard Team
rider was delighted with his finish at his fourth ever World Cup
Big Air event.
Jo Greig favourite
Technical skier Jo Greig (22, Surrey) of The British Land Alpine
Ski Team skied to second in a quality international race, the FIS
Slalom in Feldberg, Germany. Greig, who confirms her ranking as
favourite to win The British Land National Ski Championships in
Meribel, France next week finished only four hundredths of a second
shy of victory. Scots pair Lynn Sharp and Pam Thorburn finished
19th and 20th respectively.
Barcock-Edwards top result
Also in Germany the girls' British team-mate James Barcock-Edwards,
19 (Bath) also made a career best result today in Bischofswiesen
with a ninth place in the second of two Men's FIS Slaloms. "I made
a bit of a mess of it yesterday after I was lying eighth when I
came out of the course about three quarters of the way down but
today it was much better. I have just been focussing on each race
as it comes and making each turn well because I was getting too
impatient for things to happen too quickly, but I was pleased with
today's result because I felt I was skiing well technically" said
Barcock-Edwards who missed the first three months of his season
through injury.
Mickel misses out
Biggest disappointment of the weekend though was in Sierra Nevada,
Spain where the Europa Cup Finals drew to a bitter end for Britain's
top downhiller Finlay Mickel. In thick mist Mickel skied the run
of his season from a start number of 22 to take the lead ahead of
Austria's Fritz 'Pepi' Strobl and Andreas Bruder in today's Super
G. With the Austrians vying for spots on their world cup team the
race was cancelled at the recommendation of the Austrian Technical
Delegate after two Austrian Europa Cup racers crashed in the flat
light conditions.
Nokia FIS Snwoboard World Cup, Womens Half Pipe, Final Standings:
1. YAMAOKA Soko JPN 1 4820pts
2. BRIGHT Torah Jane AUS 2 3700pts
3. MCKENNA Lesley GBR 3 3130 pts
Men's FIS Slalom, Bischofswiesen, Ger. Sunday.
1 MINAGAWA Kentaro JPN 1:38,43 1. 47,98 50,45
2 KALWA Michal POL 1:38,96 2. 48,00 50,96
3 ZAKOURIL Borek CZE 1:39,84 3. 49,04 50,80
4 BJOERGVINSSON Bjoergvin ISL 1:39,97 4. 48,58 51,39
5 OOSTERBAAN Rogier NED 1:40,05 5. 49,00 51,05
6 VRABLIK Martin CZE 1:40,06 6. 49,00 51,06
7 RAETZE Roman GER 1:40,46 7. 49,16 51,30
8 NYLANDEN Petri FIN 1:40,49 8. 48,86 51,63
9 BARCOCK James GBR 1:40,59 9. 49,38 51,21
Women's FIS Slalom, Feldberg, Ger:
1 BLIENINGER Anja GER 44.29 43.87 1:28.16
2 GREIG Joanna GBR 44.27 43.93 1:28.20
3 GRAND Rabea SUI 43.98 44.38 1:28.36
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