L a t e s t  n e w s ..... Heel wins Super G in Val Gardena with Defago and Jaerbyn on the podium ... Paerson wins Super combined from Hosp and Suter ... Walchhofer retains King of the Hill in Downhill, Miller 2 and Osborne Paradis 3 ... Gut wins Super G in St Moritz from Suter and Fanchini

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' (Eleanor Roosevelt).

The downhill at The British Land National Ski Championships followed the form book, as world cup stars Finlay Mickel and Chemmy Alcott collected the Men's and Women's titles, there were encouraging and inspiring performances from many of the younger British competitors, seeking to emulate the various successes of the leading duo.

Indeed neither Mickel or Alcott were afforded any room for complacency, neither by their opponents, nor Meribel's Du Corbey piste which, while it may not be a Hahnenkamm or a Stelvio, is fast and challenging with rapid changes of terrain and many technical turns. Mickel finished just 0.86 of a second ahead of Ed Drake, who is on his first year full time on The British Land Alpine Ski Team. At 18 years old Drake was delighted with his second place, but also at collecting the British Junior Downhill Champion title.

"It was really hard in places. There is a lot of terrain comes at you very quickly on this course and so it was really just my aim to make it down today and ensure that I did enough to be on the top of the podium. I thought I had done enough to have a bit more, but it doesn't really matter. All that counts is winning, but of course it is good to have the younger guys nipping at me, and it's good that I am not that far ahead for them." Remarked Mickel, who will race all four disciplines this week.

Having just arrived from Germany late on Sunday night Mickel had to ski his statutory training run immediately before his race run. " I was glad to get it in because I really would not have liked to have raced it blind and maybe wouldn't have won." Drake, who has made big steps forward on the British Land Alpine Team programme under coach Wolfgang Grabner, is intent on continuing to ski all four disciplines. Having no desire to specialise in either speed or technical, this was only his fourth ever downhill: " I really enjoyed it. I was bit shaky on the top but I feel like I
skied the bottom quite well and let the skis run and didn't slam them across the hill at any point so I am pretty pleased." Admitted Drake, " I have been going well I feel. At times I have struggled to put together two good runs in giant slalom, but overall I am pretty happy with my season. I push myself pretty hard and the sheer amount of
races we have done is good because it means you do not have to worry too much about not finishing because there'll be another race just coming up. The disadvantage is that I can't always remember where we've been!" Scotland's Dougie Crawford took third place in the British downhill, second Junior.

In the Women's race Alcott admitted that she, too, had not found the conditions perfect – racing after the men – but she was pleased to win: " It was a bit sketchy on top and a bit soft in places but in the end we all did what we came here to do." She commented, "It is not such a tough course, a real fun downhill." Alcott's problems with her feet which have hampered her world cup season are stabilised for the moment but she will undergo further
treatment in the summer, but is still intent on avoiding surgery. Last week Alcott took second in the Swiss national championship downhill. " With their own problems with their team being accused by the Swiss press of not performing I don't think me coming second really helped things. They couldn't believe a girl from London was coming second!"

Pam Thorburn (18 Strathaven, South Lanarkshire) took second 1.42 seconds behind Alcott with 2004's overall British women's champion Lynn Sharp (19, Glasgow). Thorburn won the Junior Women's Downhill title.