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Preview
- Downhill -
Giant Slalom -
Super G - Combined Champs
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Success in Meribel
British skiers were testing the entente cordiale to its limit in
Flaine, France this weekend as Alain Baxter delivered a second blow
to the host nation when he secured the French Slalom Championship
title on Saturday night, adding to the Super G title won by his
friend and fellow British Land Alpine Ski Team member, Finlay Mickel,
on Friday.
Then Jo Greig underlined just how British ski racing has come of
age in relation to the leading alpine nations when she took third
place in the French Slalom Championship. " I don't think they'll
be letting us back after the number of podiums we have taken this
week!" quipped Greig, whose best result of the season this was and
her first major international podium finish. Between Greig, Mickel
and Baxter, British racers landed a haul of five podiums from the
eight championship disciplines.
Baxter secures Slalom title
On Saturday night under floodlights Baxter made the most of his
bib number one start position to set the quickest time by five hundredths
of a second ahead, of France's Olympic Silver medallist Sebastien
Amiez. The French team's other top World Cup slalom racers Jean-Pierre
Vidal and Pierrick Bourgeat both skied out in the first run, Baxter
going on to win by 57 hundredths of a second. " It was actually
really good. The French made a big deal of how many podiums we Scots
have taken at their championships and had bagpipes out. It's been
a great prelude to the rugby which of course they take so seriously."
Said Baxter, " I have been skiing really well in training these
past few days so I am pretty happy with a win here."
" I think if you look at how far our programmes have come in the
last few years then it is night and day and when the big nation's
like French are really taking note of where we are now as a skiing
nation then is really great." Said Mickel.
Grieg third place
Greig, (22, Surrey) was delighted with her two runs today. She missed
the first part of her season due to a hand injury and a debilitating
viral infection and did not start training fully again until January.
"It is really starting to click together now. It's a nice hill here,
just a good mid gradient and the courses had a good rhythm. I had
a stable, clean first run and really attacked on the second run."
Jo explained.
There was only a short break for Mickel, whose record at the French
champs finished with two second places in Downhill and the Super
G win - before he was in action again today as The British Land
National Ski Championships started just a couple of hours from Flaine,
in Meribel. The rangy Edinburgh skier wasted no time in laying down
the gauntlet for his team-mates as he convincingly set the fastest
time on the first day of downhill training. While his top compatriots
were still in Flaine racing giant slalom, Mickel was well over three
seconds clear of Angus Morison, 23.
" We have got some good young guys coming up. Roger Cruickhsank
in particular has the enjoyment and hunger for speed that you really
need, but I am hoping that I can do the same as last year and stay
a couple of seconds ahead of them. It's a good course with lots
of terrain changes and nothing dangerous."
Mickel could be favourite for the overall title, but with defending
champion Noel Baxter set to do all four disciplines, then it will
be a fascinating battle this week. Chemmy Alcott will not defend
her Victrix Ludorum title as she is recovering from a knee ligament
injury in the USA.
Results - Downhill Training: Men:
1 F Mickel (Edinburgh/The British Alpine Ski Team) 1:12.55,
2 A Morison (Perth) 1:15.89,
3 R Baggett (Gerard's Cross) 1:16.31,
4 T Glasse-Davies (Gartmore/The British Home Nations Development
Team) 1:18.38,
5 J Bennett (Bexley, Kent/The British Home Nations Development Team)
1:18.56,
6 D Crawford (Glasgow/The British Home Nations Development Team)
1:18.57
French National Championships, Men's Slalom, 20/3/04, Flaine
1 220044 BAXTER Alain GBR
2 190012 AMIEZ Sebastien FRA
3 190278 LLORACH Gaetan FRA
4 191425 TISSOT Stephane FRA
5 192665 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste FRA
6 510321 WEYERMANN Michael SUI
French National Championships, Women's Slalom, 20/3/04, Flaine
1 195249 PEQUEGNOT Laure FRA
2 195215 VIDAL Vanessa FRA
3 225208 GREIG Joanna GBR
4 195912 DE LEYMARIE Florine FRA
5 195944 STRUB Raphaelle FRA
6 195927 LAZIER Laurence FRA
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