GB Snowsport

The final National Championships of the British Calendar will reutrn to Tignes in 2024

GB Snowsport are delighted to confirm that the GB Alpine Championships 2024 will take place in Tignes, France for FIS Speed races (National Championships and National Junior Championships, Downhill and Super-G) and the Children’s Races. The location and dates of the FIS Tech (National Championships and National Junior Championships, Giant Slalom and Slalom) races will be confirmed shortly.

The Championships will run from 28 March – 5 April 2024 and will once again encompass National Championships, National Junior Championships and Children’s Races. NC and NJC races are scheduled to run between 28 March – 31 March, with the Children’s competition from 1 – 5 April.

Full details, including the official race programme, will be shared in the coming months with race entries expected to open in late-2023.

After a period of non-programme activity following the conclusion of the 2022/23 winter season, GB Snowsport squads are now back in pre-season training.

With the 2023/24 season approaching quickly and the Freestyle World Junior Championships already on the horizon, pre-season training camps have been confirmed in the following locations while the Alpine and Cross-Country Squads have both already completed a number of pre-season camps in Peer and Bo.

Freeski

Location: Perisher, Australia

Dates: 16 August – 3 September

Athletes Attending: Connie Brogden, Caoimhe Heavey, Chris McCormick, Kirsty Muir, Mia Rennie

Location: Cardona, New Zealand

Dates: 25 August – 29 September

Athletes Attending: Zoe Atkin, Connie Brogden, Tom Greenway, Caoimhe Heavey, Kirsty Muir, Mia Rennie

///

Freestyle Snowboard

Location: Perisher, Australia

Dates: 2 – 23 August

Athletes Attending: Mia Brookes, Billy Cockrell, Charlie Lane

Location: Cardona, New Zealand

Dates: 20 August – 12 September

Athletes Attending: Mia Brookes, Charlie Lane, Katie Ormerod (completing return-to-snow protocols)

///

Moguls

Location: Whistler, Canada – Water Ramp Camp

Dates: 8 – 30 July

Athletes Attending: Cali Carr, Will Feneley, Makayla Gerken Schofield, Mateo Jeannesson

Location: Perisher, Australia

Dates: 18 August – 5 September

Athletes Attending: Will Feneley, Makayla Gerken Schofield, Mateo Jeannesson

Location: Hintertux, Austria

Dates: 3 – 13 October

Athletes Attending: Will Feneley, Makayla Gerken Schofield, Mateo Jeannesson

///

Ski Cross

Location: Corralco, Chile

Dates: 13 – 26 September

Athlete Attending: Ollie Davies

///

Snowboard Cross

Location: Corralco, Chile

Dates: 9 – 29 September

Athletes Attending: Charlotte Bankes, Huw Nightingale

///

Cross Country

Location: Blink Festival, Sandnes, Norway

Dates: 31 July – 6 August

Athletes Attending: James Clugnet, Joe Davies, Andrew Musgrave

Location: Hemsedal, Norway

Dates: 10 – 15 September

Athletes Attending: James Clugnet, Joe Davies, Andrew Musgrave, Andrew Young

///

Alpine

Location: Saas Fee, Switzerland – Men’s Slalom Camp

Dates: 13 August – 2 September

Athletes Attending: Billy Major, Dave Ryding, Laurie Taylor

Location: Saas Fee, Switzerland – Van Deer Camp

Dates: 7 – 15 August

Athlete Attending: Charlie Raposo

Location: Saas Fee, Switzerland – Men’s Slalom Camp

Dates: 10 – 30 September

Athletes Attending: Billy Major, Dave Ryding, Laurie Taylor

Location: Saas Fee, Switzerland – Women’s Alpine Camp

Dates: 22 August – 1 September

Athlete Attending: Charlie Guest

Location: Argentina – Van Deer Camp

Dates: 23 August – 16 September

Athlete Attending: Charlie Raposo

///

Para Alpine

Location: Oslo/Fonne – Norway

Dates: 27 July – 12 August

Athletes Attending: Shona Brownlee, Menna Fitzpatrick, Katie Guest, Adam Hall, Louise Harrison, Michael Kear

///

Para Snowboard

Location: Perisher, Australia

Dates: 20 July – 17 August

Athletes Attending: James Barnes-Miller, Matt Hamilton (Invitational Athlete)

Depth of British Alpine pathway on show as 28-athlete FIS Development Squad underpins fifteen World Cup and Europa Cup Squad selections

Charlie Guest, Billy Major, Charlie Raposo, Dave Ryding, and Laurie Taylor will once again represent British World Cup Squad interests on the 2023/24 Alpine World Cup circuit having all achieved selection criteria following the conclusion of the 2022/23 season. Alex Tilley, meanwhile, confirmed her decision to retire at the end of the season after a decade of competition at the highest levels of the sport.

The Europa Cup Squad will double in size for the new season, with 2022/23 season members Reece Bell, Victoria Palla, Robert Poth, Roy Steudle, and Owen Vinter joined by Luca Carrick-Smith, Ed Guigonnet, Robert Holmes, Jack Irving, and Calum Langmuir, all of whom are promoted from the FIS squad ranks.

The FIS Development Squad, meanwhile, comprises 28 athletes many of whom are among Europe’s brightest Alpine prospects.

The team, whose standout moment of last season came in the Kitzbuehel Slalom where Dave Ryding took silver a year on from his history-making victory at the same venue, will be looking to build on a season that saw encouraging performances across the whole of the Alpine circuit, including at last month’s GB Alpine Championships.

Billy Major, World Cup Squad Member, said:

“Being selected for the World Cup squad and being able to represent your country at the highest-level week in week out, is something that I am very proud of. It comes with a lot of hard work and commitment over many years to get here. 

“We have a very strong group of individuals, that share the same vision and beliefs. Even though we might be a smaller team and skiing nation, I believe we can contend with the best in the world. Dave has already set the path for us to follow and hopefully we can go on to inspire the next generation.”

Juliet Foster, GB Snowsport Alpine Discipline Committee Chair, said:

“This year’s Alpine Squad selections show just how deep the pool of talent is within the British Alpine system. From the experience of our World Cup Squad at the highest levels, to the promise and potential of our Europa Cup and FIS Development Squads, Britain has a group of athletes with outstanding technical and competitive abilities and the potential to really make their mark at every level of the sport. Warm congratulations to every athlete selected and to their coaches, clubs, academies and support teams, whose impact on British Alpine Skiing is so important.”

Victoria Palla, Europa Cup Squad member, said:

“I’m really proud to be named in the Europa Cup Squad again this year, and I’m absolutely determined to make sure I’m in the best possible place to put down some good performances once the season gets started.

“It was great to make my World Cup and World Championships debuts last season, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and building on what I’ve achieved over the last few years.”

Full Squad Selections:

World Cup Squad:

  • Charlie Guest
  • Billy Major
  • Charlie Raposo
  • Dave Ryding
  • Laurie Taylor

Europa Cup Squad

  • Reece Bell
  • Luca Carrick-Smith
  • Ed Guigonnet
  • Robert Holmes
  • Jack Irving
  • Calum Langmuir
  • Victoria Palla
  • Robert Poth
  • Roy Steudle
  • Owen Vinter

FIS Development Squad

  • Honor Bartlett
  • Elliott Bennett
  • George Black
  • Maisie Blyth
  • Candice Bomberg
  • Abi Bruce
  • Thomas Butterworth
  • Molly Butler
  • Toby Case
  • Jack Cunningham
  • Daisi Daniels
  • Harry Duncan
  • Alexa Eliff
  • Lucas Ellis
  • William Freear
  • Giselle Gorringe
  • Charlotte Holmes
  • Olivia Howeson
  • Lois Jackson
  • Toby Jennings
  • Max Laughland
  • Louis de Pourtales
  • Emerson Proctor
  • Dominic Shackleton
  • Aidan Urquhart
  • Isla Ward
  • Kieran Woolley
  • Nicole Wordley

29-year-old Scot had been fixture of World Cup circuit for a decade

Alex Tilley, a fixture on the Alpine World Cup for a decade, has announced her retirement.

The 29-year-old, who recorded eight top-20 World Cup finishes in her career, was also a two-time Olympian and a part of the Team Parallel unit that took an incredible fifth place finish at the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games in 2018.

A five-time World Championships competitor, Tilley made her World Cup debut in Maribor in 2013, achieving her first top-20 World Cup finish in Lienz in 2015 in the Giant Slalom. A 13th place Giant Slalom result at the 2021/22 season opener in Soelden looked set to herald a strong season for Tilley, before a broken leg left her fitness for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in jeopardy. Having mounted an incredible comeback, Tilley competed in both the Giant Slalom and Slalom competitions in Beijing, taking 22nd place in the former.

On her final World Cup season, Tilley made seven World Cup starts as well as competing in her fifth World Championships. An influential figure both on and off the slopes, particularly in inspiring young skiers breaking through on the international circuit, Tilley’s impact on the sport will be felt for years to come.

Everyone at GB Snowsport thanks Alex for her significant contributions to British Alpine Skiing over the past decade, and wishes her well in the future.

Under improved weather conditions, Britain’s young Alpine skiers showed they have what it takes to make it to the top

After the significant weather disruption experienced in the first week of the GB Alpine Championships, a welcome improvement in conditions saw the Children’s Week deliver an almost uninterrupted programme of competition on the slopes of Tignes.

With more than 300 skiers competing across U16, U14, U12, and U10 categories, the Children’s Week Championships was heavily supported by the resort team at Tignes, Ladies Ski Club, Ski Exchange, and coaches and staff from across the British Alpine Clubs and Academies, as well as the volunteer Organising Committee, whose work is critical in delivering the GB Alpine Championships.

Among the multiple podium holders were Katie Saunders, Brooke Baxter, and Tabitha Milkins (U16 Girls), Freddy Carrick-Smith and Zak Carrick-Smith (U16 boys), Amelia Pietrzak and Maisie Hayman (U14 Girls), and Jake Leonard and Ryan Faber (U14 Boys).

The conclusion of the Championships marks the end of an exceptional season for British skiers and snowboarders at every level of international competition, with the GB Alpine Championships Children’s Week proving again the outstanding potential of the country’s young Alpine talent.

Podiums and Results

U16 Girls

Slalom – Girls Southampton Ski Club Cup

  1. Brooke Baxter
  2. Tabitha Milkins
  3. Katie Saunders

Super-G

  1. Katie Saunders
  2. Emily Turner
  3. Flore Metselaar

GS – Hillend Salver

  1. Flore Metselaar
  2. Katie Saunders
  3. Tabitha Milkins

Combined – Coupe de la Municipality de l’Alpe d’Huez

  1. Katie Saunders
  2. Brooke Baxter
  3. Tabitha Milkins

U16 Boys

Slalom – Aberdeen Ski Club Quaich

  1. Freddy Carrick-Smith
  2. Zak Carrick-Smith
  3. Lewis Parton

Super-G

  1. Zak Carrick-Smith
  2. Freddy Carrick-Smith
  3. George Brown

Combined – Ski Plan Trophy

  • Freddy Carrick-Smith (=1st)
  • Zak Carrick-Smith (=1st)
  • George Brown

U14 Girls

Slalom – Girls Midland Ski Club Cup

  1. Amelia Pietrzak
  2. Louisa McIntosh
  3. Maisie Haymen

Super-G

  1. Amelia Pietrzak
  2. Louisa McIntosh
  3. Freya Tresidder

GS – Kandahar Ski Club Cup

  1. Maisie Hayman
  2. Amelia Pietrzak
  3. Carman Perrier

Combined – Lillywhite Cup

  1. Amelia Pietrzak
  2. Maisie Hayman
  3. Louisa McIntosh

U14 Boys

Slalom – Boys Pindisport Cup

  1. Ryan Faber
  2. Rufus Wontner
  3. Sebastien Anthony

Super-G

  1. Harrison Adkins
  2. Jake Leonard
  3. Ryan Faber

GS – Dolphin Ski Club Cup

  1. Ryan Faber
  2. Jake Leonard
  3. Oliver Martin

Combined – Schools Abroad Trophy

  1. Ryan Faber
  2. Jake Leonard
  3. Oliver Martin

U12 Girls

Kombi

  1. Scarlett McLaughlin
  2. Lily Flitton
  3. Sylvia Curtis
  4. Cecilia Hamer
  5. Xenia Coudenhove-Kalergi

GS

  1. Lily Flitton
  2. Lottie Whitmore
  3. Amelia Atherton
  4. Lottie Williams
  5. Xenia Coudenhove-Kalgeri

Stubby Slalom

  • Lily Flitton
  • Christina Dagne
  • Arabella Armitage
  • Lottie Whitmore
  • Lottie Williams (=5th)
  • Mya Ditchfield (=5th)

U12 Boys

Kombi

  1. Isaac Cheongvee
  2. Cillean Morrison
  3. Toby Tweedle
  4. Edward Lloyd
  5. Samuel Greenland

GS

  1. Charlie Miller
  2. Isaac Cheongvee
  3. Edward Lloyd
  4. Zephyr Lusted
  5. Toby Tweedle

Stubby Slalom

  1. Edward Lloyd
  2. Isaac Cheongvee
  3. Toby Tweedle
  4. Raphael Malescour
  5. Charlie Miller

U10 Girls

Kombi

  1. Sofia Philip
  2. Lily-Margaret Martineau-Fortin
  3. Amelie Arnold
  4. Anna Chan
  5. Zoe Gosling

GS

  • Anna Chan
  • Sofia Philip
  • Zoe Gosling
  • Lily Martineau-Fortin
  • Amelie Arnold (=5th)
  • Siv Unreg Bassen (= 5th)

Stubby Slalom

  1. Anna Chan
  2. Sofia Philip
  3. Lily-Margaret Martineau-Fortin
  4. Zoe Gosling
  5. Amelie Arnold

U10 Boys

Kombi

  1. Douglas Davison
  2. Marcus Pop
  3. William Myers
  4. Bruno Stoof
  5. Jasper Daniels

GS

  1. Lucas Cox
  2. Marcus Pop
  3. Bruno Stoof
  4. Colby Bulters
  5. William Myers

Stubby Slalom

  1. Lucas Cox
  2. Max Hannah
  3. William Myers
  4. Marcus Pop
  5. Dougal Davison

Club/Team Awards

U16 Girls – Dolphin Ski Club Cup

Excel (Chloe McKay, Georgia Blaikie, Amy Miller)

U16 Boys – Cairngorm Quaich

Apex (Hamish Blyth, Benjamin Wontner, Ruaraidh Oliphant, Lewis Parton)

U14 Boys – Alpbach Visitors Ski Club Cup

CDC (Harry Bardon, Hunter Barnes, Brodie Holliman, Thomas Springett)

U16 Overall Children’s Best Club Team – Tornes Trophy

Apex (Brooke Baxter, Tabitha Milkins, Hamish Blyth, Ruaraidh Oliphant, Lewis Parton)

U14 Overall Children’s Best Club Team – Rose and Thistle Cup

Ambition (Amelia Pietrzak, Louisa McIntosh, Ryan Faber, Lucas Cross, Xavier Poynton)

Header Image: U16 Ladies Podium, credit: Racer Ready

Despite challenging conditions, British Slalom skiers excelled at the 2023 GB Alpine Championships

In a week that saw heavy snow and severe weather conditions force the cancellation of the majority of the race programme, Billy Major and Giselle Gorringe secured British National Championships Slalom titles at the GB Alpine Championships.

With racing proving impossible on most days, despite the organising team’s best efforts, the 2023 GB Alpine Championships was stripped back to a Slalom only programme which saw men’s and women’s races completed in both the National Championships and National Junior Championships.

In the Women’s National Championships, 19-year-old Giselle Gorringe took the British title and the Evie Pinching Salver, with Molly Butler in second and Lois Jackson taking third. Butler’s finishing position was enough to secure her both the British U18 Schools Abroad Trophy and the Non-Team Ladies Ski Club Challenge Cup in an excellent showing for the 16-year-old.

The International podium saw France’s Tea Lamboray in first place ahead of Lara Briguet of Switzerland and Laurine Lugon-Moulin of France in third spot.

The Men’s National Championship saw a 1-2 of World Cup Squad talent in the British National Ski Union Cup, with Billy Major edging out Laurie Taylor, and Ed Guigonnet in third place. The British Non-Team Baird Trophy went to David Christey, competing in his fifth GB Alpine Championships, while the British U18 Schools Abroad Trophy was taken by Luca Carrick Smith.

The Men’s International podium saw Reto Maechler finish in top spot, with Paco Rassat and Leo Anguenot sharing the silver medal position.

The Women’s National Junior Alpine Championships Slalom races saw a U21 Women’s Podium led by Lucy Jackman, with Alisa Hay in the silver medal spot, and Maureen Lambert taking third. The U18 International Podium was topped by Britain’s Molly Butler ahead of Mathilde Phillips of Switzerland and Myrthe Jager of the Netherlands, while the Ski Club of Great Britain Salver podium saw Lucy Jackman in top spot ahead of Alisa Hay and Hannah Phillips.

The British U18 ESC Cup saw another victory for Molly Butler with Maisie Blyth in second and Lauren Bloom in third.

In the Men’s National Junior Alpine Championships, the U21 International Podium was led by Lucas Ellis ahead of Pablo Guillot-Corouge and Paco Duffaud, while Luca Carrick-Smith took an excellent victory in the U18 category with Jules Michel-Mazan in second and Kieran Woolley in third.

The British NJC Walter Hutchinson Challenge Cup was won by Lucas Ellis with Toby Jennings and Aidan Urquhart in silver and bronze medal spots respectively, while the British U18 Dragon Ski Cup went to Luca Carrick-Smith with Kieran Woolley second and Harry Duncan rounding out the podium in third place.

GB Snowsport have issued the following statement following further discussions between GBS and Apex2100

After careful consideration and extensive discussions between all parties, GB Snowsport and Apex2100 have made the decision not to proceed with previously announced proposals to develop a dedicated GB Alpine programme fronted jointly by the two organisations. While this is a difficult decision, we, alongside the Apex leadership team, have concluded that the two organisations’ immediate priorities mean that there is more to be gained for British Alpine skiing by working separately, but with a shared commitment to the success of British Alpine.

We are grateful to everyone involved with Apex for their efforts alongside our own team over recent months, and we look forward to continuing to work with them, and with all other Alpine Academies, as they support British athletes at every level of the Alpine pathway.

Our commitment to the Alpine World Class Programme remains steadfast, and we will continue to look for ways to strengthen the Alpine pathway alongside the Home Nations Snowsport National Governing Bodies to build on the success of the current squad of world class Alpine athletes.

The GB Alpine Championships Organising Committee have issued the following update this evening (27 March 2023)

Owing to challenging weather conditions in Tignes, the GB Alpine Championships Organising Committee have been working closely with local stakeholders and teams to manage the planned competition as best as possible.

Tomorrow morning, the hill will be prepared by Tignes ready for the NC and NJC SG on Wednesday. The plan is for the hill to be open from training from 12.00. This will be organised by coaches for the athletes.

Information about the training will be on the British2023-FIS WhatsApp Group. The current programme is per the FIS website and any updates will be posted there and on GBSKI.com.

Charlotte Bankes took brilliant double World Cup wins as Britain’s 2022/23 medal count grew to 39

In her first World Cup competitions since the Bakuriani World Championships, Charlotte Bankes sealed brilliant back-to-back World Cup gold medals in the Sierra Nevada Snowboard Cross World Cup. The results mean she has now taken victory in each of the last four World Cup races and leaves her top of the 2023 Snowboard Cross Cup Standings, with 478 points to Chloe Trespeuch’s 460.

In both races, Bankes held off a strong challenge from Trespeuch, with the French Snowboard Cross star taking silver on each occasion, leaving the race for the Crystal Globe in the balance as the season moves towards its conclusion.

The men’s races, meanwhile, saw Huw Nightingale finish in 48th place.

There was also good news from the Para Snowboard Snowboard Cross races at the La Molina World Championships, where Nina Sparks took an excellent bronze medal in the opening weekend of the Championships. James Barnes-Miller and Ollie Hill were left empty handed after the opening races of the competition, but with Dual Banked Slalom races still to come, Britain has a chance to add further to an already excellent World Championships haul this season.

Sparks’ and Bankes’ results pushed Britain’s World Championships, World Cup, and X Games medal haul for the season to a scarcely believable 39 with podiums in every single discipline across the winter.

At Europa Cup level, Mateo Jeannesson took a superb Dual Moguls victory at the Engadin Europa Cup competition. One of the youngest competitors in the field, Jeannesson’s victory was the second time he’s climbed the podium this season, after victory in the Hintertux Open in November. Mateo’s brother, Tom, finished in 15th in Dual Moguls following a superb fourth place in Single Moguls a day earlier.

There was disappointment in Alpine at the Are World Cup for Charlie Guest and at the Kranjska Gora World Cup for Charlie Raposo, with each posting a DNF amid tricky race conditions.

In Telemark, Jazmin Taylor recorded the third World Cup podium of her season with bronze at the Krvavec Sprint World Cup, while in Cross Country Andrew Musgrave finished just outside of the top-10 with an 11th place finish in the Oslo World Cup 50km F Mass Start, which saw a remarkable Norwegian clean sweep of the top-10 places. Joe Davies, meanwhile, took a superb victory at the NCAA Championships with first place in the 10km F before a very promising sixth in the 20km C Mass Start.

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
    Continue Shopping