GB Snowsport's lone female racer on the World Cup circuit came tantalisingly close to scoring points to mark an important birthday milestone, as she continues to overcome irksome health issues.
Charlie Guest fell short of a second run slalom bid at the pre-New Year event in Lienz, Ost-Tirol, by just 0.06 seconds, ending up in 32nd spot despite a promising top section.
The race fell one day short of her 30th birthday, an anniversary which has focussed her attentions on her future strategies amid funding and support challenges.
The Lienz slalom was a testing course for all the starters. The surrounding mountainsides were bathed in green - barely a snowflake on any recreational piste in sight - and organisers had worked wonders to lay down a functional race piste which was grippy and uncompromising for the athletes.
Charlie had drawn a bib number of 50 and had been determined to clinch a second run with a top 30 showing. For a time, she had clung onto the perilous 30th slot until two later starters managed to edge her off contention. It wasn't enough to blame the deteriorating track. A Norwegian athlete starting just a few places ahead of Charlie had posted an impressive 17th place and it was all down to technique and skill.
In an exclusive interview with Racer Ready, Charlie reflected on her day and on her future plans.
"I'm still making the grade. I've still got it. There was some pace up there. I did really well at the top. I was fifth, which is pretty cool. But I can't afford to chuck in the odd inside edge. A few elementary mistakes like that have to be taken out of what I'm doing. I'm focused on working on the skiing, basically."
Was she focused on better start numbers?
"It's not that. As we saw today, a racer with a bib number just before me went into the top 20. My priority is good skiing. When I'm skiing good, I can do anything. My priority is the skiing, and we'll take it from there."
Was there any particular event she was concentrating on?
"I'm turning 30 and to be honest, I'm looking forward to getting back into training and keeping on working forward. I can't look at just one event. It needs to be the whole picture."
What are the biggest challenges?
"I'm still coming back from some underlying health problems which are still bothering me. I'm looking at dealing with those little pieces and hopefully getting back to where I have been before."
What was the impact of being the sole TeamGB racer, with the retirement of Alex Tilley and Reece Bell not making the World Cup tour this season?
"Yes, it definitely helped [them being there]. It is something that I've realised in the last few years.
"You may know that all of a sudden I lost a lot of my support system and with that quite a bit of my funding. The people who were around me, whilst they weren't racers, were people who had been with me and we had built up a lot of trust. That's important and it is part of what goes into building an athlete. It's all these extras that matter and I'm trying to build it back up and see where I get to."
Charlie Guest was talking to Richard Orange, of orchardnews.com, on behalf of Racer Ready. She celebrates her birthday on December 30.