"I did not expect to win on the first day," explained the new British Women's Super G Champion at the Delancey British Championships, Darcie Mead. Mead came into the race as the top ranked racer in a small field yet tried not to think about this. Mead finished second in the Overall race behind the older Esther Ledecka from the Czech Republic with France's Marine Gilbert in third. It was a close run race for the girls, the top two were separated by just five hundredths of a second.
While the result will not be a point scoring result for the Evolution trained racer, winning her first National Title is always a good feeling, especially after having spent a lot of the first part of the season out ill. When you spend three months out, you are always in a rush to catch up with other racers who have spent the time training, something not lost on Mead. Despite having the time out of the sport, Mead got back and fit just in time to make the criteria to qualify for the European Youth Olympics, which was a "fantastic experience," she admitted. Mead has only competed in nine Super G's in her career and now will have her name on the same trophy as Chemmy Alcott, the long time owner of the Super G Title at the British Championships. Â Mead was disappointed that the defending Champion, Alex Tilley was not on the start list.
With the poor weather for the race, Mead, like Crawford, Baldwin and Morgan was not too happy with her skiing yet knows that if she can eradicate the mistakes of going too straight in the turnier sections, then she will be back in the hunt and looking to get the better of the girl who beat her.
Natalia Harte and her younger sister Giulia finished fifth and sixth overall just behind the Ambition trained Thomasine Nilsen Wrede who races for Sweden, the Hartes taking second and third in the British field. Alice Macaulay took the non British team award with Giulia Harte taking the under 18 prize.
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