There may be a storm brewing after details of comments made by the Team BSS Performance Director in an email (click here) regarding race fixing but the next generation of British racers competing in the CIT races in Villars produced some cracking performances, including ... a race win for Kieran Norris and Bethany Widdup in the slalom as well as Alice Macaulay in the first of the two Giant Slaloms.
This was the second year that the CIT races had been set up by Aiglon College and with strong support from The British Ski Academy, Ambition Racing and Impulse Racing, it is hoped that these races will grow in stature and in numbers.
In the girls races Macaulay also added a second place in the second of the two Giant Slaloms. Macaulay's coach, Marc Telling was delighted that his charge had won a race and that other racers in his FIS group of racers had also stepped up to the mark on the first day of racing in Villars with his post on the Ambition Racing Facebook page: "Interesting day. Alice 1st overall, finally held onto a lead. Beth good first run but shanked 2nd. Kieran useless first run, missed the flip but was 10th fastest 2nd run. Barney Lewis, knows he's near the end of his career, stopped caring and some good skiing comes out with a personal best. It's a funny old game.... "
There were also some good results from the British Ski Academy racers in the girls races as Jazmine Butcher and Nia Jenkins posted good results in both slalom and Giant Slalom. Euan Kick rounded off the racing with a fifth place while Jordan Fellows was unlucky to have been disqualified in the slalom.
It is great to see so many British racers mixing it up with other international racers and not, as is viewed by a senior member of the BSS, relying on race results being fixed! The sport does not need senior members of the organisation giving out these views as it is detrimental to the hard work that the racers are doing. The fantastic efforts being put in by the athletes from Ambition Racing, Impulse and the British Ski Academy at these British run races, is totally undone by poorly judged comments made by those that should know better. The sport needs support from management that know what is going on, how to improve and so on. Ill-judged and ill-informed comments have no place in the sport. Maybe it is time for new people who have the sport at their heart to come in and run things?
Results from Villars
Picture of Alice Macaulay competing at the Welsh Championships in January. Copyright Racer Ready