GB Snowsport have announced that the British Senior Alpine Championships 2021, which were due to be held in Tignes, France between March 28th – April 4th, 2021 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic.
GBS have been continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation and due to the British Government’s guidelines around international travel, we have reached this decision with our partners Tignes.
GBS are looking forward to coming back bigger and better in 2022, with the Senior Championships taking place between 27th March to 3rd April 2022 and the Children’s Championships from 4th April to 8th April.
Paul Trayner, GB Snowsport Alpine Director:
“It is with great regret that we have to make this announcement. The GB Champs is a real highlight of the season and a key milestone event for so many of our athletes. The GB Snowsport alpine squad have achieved some fantastic results so far this season, and I know they were looking forward to competing in Tignes. To be starved of it for 2 consecutive seasons is a real shame but we will return to Tignes in 2022 and endeavour to make it the biggest and best GB Champs yet. This year has been a real challenge for us all and I hope that we can get back to the sport that we love very soon”.
Frédéric Porte, Director General of Tignes Development:
“Hosting the GB Snowsport British Alpine Championships in Tignes has become a tradition over the years. The bond that we have with GB Snowsport has historically been very strong and seeing the 2021 edition of the Championships also being cancelled (after the first cancellation in 2020) due to the global COVID pandemic is a great disappointment for all. We will make sure though that together with GB Snowsport we will prepare the best ever 2022 edition. In the meantime; stay safe!”
This comes on the back of an announcement from the TD Forum:
The Home Nations and the TD Forum met on 18th Feb to conduct their scheduled review with regard BASS Seeding and TD assignment for the remainder of the 2020-21 on-snow season.
The review looked at the current and ongoing restrictions imposed by Governments at a national and inter-national level, including local and regional lockdowns and current travel restrictions; particularly noting the challenges these regulations impose for organisers and officials, as well as athletes and their supporters. The following was decided:
· The provision to accept results for BASS seeding from events in the UK Geographic area was withdrawn with immediate effect. TDs will not be assigned, nor results accepted from any event within UK for the remainder of the season.
· The suspension of the assignment of TDs and the acceptance of results for BASS seeding from events held in Europe was extended until the end of the season.
This ends BASS sanctioned events for the 2020-21 snow season and thus the BASS List will be closed for the season with immediate effect. As there have been no BASS seeded races in the 2020-21 snow season it is intended to carry forward the closing BASS list from the end of the 2019-20 season as the start list for the 2021-22 snow season, subject to technical considerations. More details will follow in due course.
The Home Nations and the TD Forum will now focus on supporting the artificial ski slope events in UK across the summer should restrictions allow. Snowsport England, Scotland and Wales, will review the summer calendar in light of all relevant restrictions, ensuring that events are supported where travel and regional restrictions allow for fair and safe racing across the whole ski community; noting that time for athletes to train prior to the restart of racing is an important safety factor. The TD Forum will assign TDs and accept results for seeding in support of the Home Nations approved programme and will review the necessary rules, including those adopted for the 2020 summer season, to ensure safe, fair and compliant events prior to the start of the season.
Press release from GB Snowsport and TD Forum
Picture - Robert Poth on his way to winning the 2019 Slalom Title at the British Championships in Tignes