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Thorburn Kicks off 09/10 Season with a Win

British Alpine Ski Team member, Pam Thorburn (23, Strathaven) got her Olympic season underway with a well-deserved win in her opening race in Hemsedal, Norway on the 24 November 2009.

The Super G race, which sees the athletes reach speeds of between 50 and 60mph, took part in the hours of darkness thereby increasing the challenge facing the racers as the floodlighting was very poor.  Thorburn had an early start number which she used to her advantage, making full use of the good track conditions. 

Thorburn commented “this was my first race of the season so it has been a great start for me. I am happy because there was a really good level of international racers here and the result significantly lowers my FIS points* and therefore my world ranking”.

“I was really excited to get the races started after an extremely good summer of training and I am now looking forward to my first Europa Cup Super G and Super Combined in Kvitfjell, Norway [4-6 December]. We have a great set up now on the women’s team with the addition of Hannes Wallner to the staff. Gunter [Puehringer, British Alpine Ski Team ladies’ coach] and Hannes have made sure we have had the best preparation possible going in to the Olympic season”.

British Alpine Ski Team ladies coach, Gunter Puehringer, added “Pam won the race as she skied well and put into practice the things we have been focussing on over the summer.  There were about six really good competitors at the start who are scoring regularly on the Europa Cup circuit which shows how well Pam skied.  It just shows what the girls are capable of when they get it right, she did a very good job”.

Thorburn will be competing along side team mates Melissa Piper and Louise Thomas in Kvitfjell, Norway between 4-6 December where she will be looking to replicate her form. 

Meanwhile, fellow British Alpine Ski Team members Dougie Crawford (22, Glasgow) and Chemmy Alcott (27, Twickenham) will be in action in the next round of the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup tour in North America this weekend (4-6 December). 

Crawford, in only his fifth appearance on the World Cup circuit, will make his debut on the notorious ‘Birds of Prey’ course in Beaver Creek, USA when he competes in the Downhill and Super Combined races. 

Alcott is competing in the opening speed events of the Ladies’ 2009/2010 World Cup tour at the Downhill and Super G races in Lake Louise, Canada.