Pre-Christmas podium rush in excellent week for GBS athletes
Simpson and Poth take Gold in Courchevel
Neil Simpson and Rob Poth delivered a timely reminder of their class and racing capabilities at the Courchevel Para Alpine GS World Cup this week, securing Gold in the week’s second race, after a second run DNF when well positioned in the opening contest.
The result marks a first World Cup podium for Simpson since the 2022/23 season, having been absent from snow for the majority of the 2023/24 season, and provides a meaningful springboard back into elite competition as the clock ticks towards the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, where he will be due to defend the Super-G title won alongside his brother, Andrew, in Beijing.
Atkin strikes Silver in Copper
Zoe Atkin delivered her finest performance of the season so far, and one of the best demonstrations of the richness of her talent as a Halfpipe skier, with a Silver medal winning show at the Copper Mountain Halfpipe World Cup.
Having finished outside of the podium positions in Cardrona and Secret Garden Atkin soared to her fourth World Cup podium of the calendar year in a brilliant contest that saw the Brit battling it out with China’s Eileen Gu and Cassie Sharpe of Canada in a contest which saw the rankings determined on the third and final run.
In the end, Atkin’s score of 89.75 was enough to hold off Sharpe, who secured third with an 89.00, and sat only marginally behind Gu whose first round score of 90.50 took the honours on the day.
In the Men’s Freeski contest, Liam Richards impressed again with a 16th place finish, while in Freestyle Snowboard, Siddhartha Ullah took the best result coming 23rd, with Aaron Wild and Gidget Holden also representing Britain in the men’s and women’s competitions respectively.
Taylor doubles up in Telemark Sprint opener
Jaz Taylor‘s reign as Telemark Crystal Globe holder got off to a strong start at the Pinzolo Sprint World Cup opening races, taking Gold and Bronze across the week’s two races.
At the venue which marked the springboard towards her overall title glory last season, Taylor’s racing instinct and technical strength was on clear display amid challenging conditions, with weather rapidly setting in.
The results leave Taylor top of the nascent Overall World Cup standings with two races completed, ahead of Bjoernstad Konow of Norway, and France’s Augustine Carliez and Argeline Tan who share third spot.
Elsewhere, Jamie Dykes, Josh Wisbey, Hamish Ross, and Matthew Deane all competed in the Men’s Sprint races, with Dykes’ second race 25th place the pick of the performances.
Ski Cross team impress in Arosa and Innichen
Ollie Davies and Scott Johns delivered impressive showings in Arosa and Innichen, with Davies landing two top-10 finishes, and Johns the highest World Cup finish of his career to date.
For Davies, the pick of the races was the first Innichen World Cup, which saw him take victory in the Small Final, securing fifth place and the second best World Cup finish of his career, behind his Reiteralm Silver medal in 2023. The Arosa World Cup, meanwhile, saw him clinch tenth spot and an at-the-time sixth top-10 World Cup finish, marking a promising return from the season’s early races.
Johns, meanwhile, in his first season of full-time World Cup racing managed a career-first top-30 finish and the first FIS World Cup points of his career with an excellent performance in Arosa, highlighting the 21-year-old’s excellent potential in only his sixth World Cup race.
Ryding lands yet another top-10 in Alta Badia
Dave Ryding continued to fly the flag for British Alpine skiing with a powerful top-10 finish in the Alta Badia Slalom. His eighth place finish, 2.04s behind race winner Timon Haugan, marked a third consecutive top-10 performance for the 38-year-old, putting him only one top-10 finish behind his overall record from last season with the majority of the race calendar still to come.
Fellow Brits Laurie Taylor and Billy Major took 32nd and 36th spots respectively, each narrowly missing out on a second run in the final pre-Christmas Slalom races.
Jeannesson 15th in Bakuriani
Mateo Jeannesson landed an impressive fifteenth place finish at the Bakuriani Dual Moguls World Cup, following up a 26th place finish in the individual Moguls the previous day.
Para Alpine and Telemark stars top standings in Courchevel and Pinzolo
Neil Simpson and Rob Poth take top spot in Courchevel
Neil Simpson and Rob Poth secured Gold at the second GS World Cup of the week in Courchevel with a superb display of technical racing.
Coming in first at the turn, the pair battled a trickier second run but came through with the third fastest run time to secure Gold by a margin of 0.13s from Austria’s Johannes Aigner in second, with Giacomo Bertagnolli of Italy in third.
The result marks an outstanding return to competitive racing for Simpson after an extended period off snow last season, and a strong beginning to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games qualifying period.
Taylor continues Pinzolo dominance
Jaz Taylor’s reign as Telemark Crystal Globe holder got off to a confident start with a dominant victory in the season opening Sprint World cup in Pinzolo.
Taking the lead in the first run, Taylor’s finishing time of 2:36.26 was enough to take victory, coming in 1.40s ahead of Augustine Carliez and 1.62s from Camille Bourbon both of France.
Speaking afterwards, Taylor said:
“It’s a different feel coming into this season after last year, it’s a new challenge for me. I’m really pleased with my first race and hope to hold onto my form!“
Para Alpine and Telemark teams set for first World Cups, with busy calendar across six disciplines
Ski cross World Cups – Arosa and Innichen
Ollie Davies and Scott Johns will face their second and third World Cup contests of the season in a busy pre-season blast of European competition. After disappointment in the opening Val Thorens World Cup, Davies and Johns have both qualified for Finals in this evening’s Aroso World Cup, with both then making the cross-country journey to Innichen for races across 19-21 December.
Arosa and Innichen Ski Cross – British Line-Up:
- Ollie Davies
- Scott Johns
Alpine Slalom World Cup – Alta Badia
After a promising weekend of action in France, the Men’s Slalom team are headed for the Italian resort of Alta Badia for the final pre-Christmas World Cup of the season on 23 December. A tenth place from Dave Ryding in 2020 marks the best British World Cup result at the resort, where the team will be looking to build on an encouraging start to the 2024/25 Slalom calendar.
Alta Badia Slalom – British Line-Up:
- Billy Major
- Dave Ryding
- Laurie Taylor
Moguls World Cup – Bakuriani
Mateo Jeannesson marks the sole British entrant for the Bakuriani Moguls World Cup this weekend, bringing to a close the team’s pre-Christmas calendar. The competition will mark Jeannesson’s second visit to the Georgian resort following the 2023 World Championships, which saw him secure a brace of top-30 finishes.
Bakuriani Moguls – British Line-Up:
- Mateo Jeannesson
Halfpipe World Cup – Copper Mountain
A potential five-athlete line-up awaits for the first North American Halfpipe World Cups of the season, hosted at Copper Mountain. Zoe Atkin and Liam Richards are set for action in the Freeski competition, while Siddhartha Ullah, Aaron Wild, and potentially Gidget Holden (if a late entry spot becomes available) will step up in the Freestyle Snowboard contest.
Copper Mountain Halfpipe – British Line-Up:
- Zoe Atkin (Freeski)
- Gidget Holden* (Freestyle Snowboard)
- Liam Richards (Freeski)
- Siddhartha Ullah (Freestyle Snowboard)
- Aaron Wild (Freestyle Snowboard)
Para Alpine GS World Cup – Courchevel
Neil Simpson and Guide Rob Poth are set for their first action of the season with a double-header GS World Cup across 19-20 December. The iconic French resort of Courchevel will mark its first instance hosting a Para Alpine World Cup, with a strong field expected to compete.
Courchevel Para alpine GS – British Line-Up:
- Neil Simpson and Rob Poth
Telemark Sprint World Cup – Pinzolo
The first Telemark World Cup races of the season will see reigning Crystal Globe holder Jaz Taylor looking to pick up where she left off last season, as part of a five athlete British line-up featuring three World Cup debutants. Matthew Deane, Hamish Ross, and Josh Wisbey will make the first World Cup level starts, with Jamie Dykes rounding out the British line-up for the traditional season openers.
Pinzolo Telemark Sprint – BRitish Line-Up:
- Matthew Deane
- Jamie Dykes
- Hamish Ross
- Jaz Taylor
- Josh Wisbey
How to Watch:
Alpine, Ski Cross, Moguls and Halfpipe action will all be available for broadcast in the UK on Eurosport, while the Courchevel Para Alpine World Cup races are due to be streamed via the Courchevel website.
GB Snowsport has issued the following statement on Para Alpine World Cup skier, Menna Fitzpatrick
Following a broken leg sustained in summer training, Menna Fitzpatrick has undergone a successful surgical procedure and is now underway with a dedicated rehabilitation plan. She is making positive progress, and while a good case scenario would see her back in training this winter, we will be assessing Menna’s recovery under the supervision of the GB Snowsport medical team to ensure she is in the best possible position ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Everyone at GB Snowsport is fully focused on supporting Menna in her recovery and return to snow in the coming months.
Thirteen athletes named across three squads for beginning of Milan-Cortina qualifying period
GB Snowsport are delighted to confirm the selection of 13 athletes to represent Britain in Para Snowsport competition for the season ahead.
Marking the beginning of the qualification period for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, the coming season is expected to feature a full World Cup and World Championships calendar across Para Alpine Skiing, Para Nordic Skiing, and Para Snowboard.
British representation features three Paralympic medallists in Para Alpine skiers Menna Fitzpatrick (who will again be guided through the season by Katie Guest), Neil Simpson (with Andrew Simpson and Rob Poth sharing guiding duties), and Para Snowboarder Ollie Hill, while Scott Meenagh (Para Nordic) and James Barnes-Miller and Nina Sparks (both Para Snowboard) also boast World Championships podiums among their notable results. Matt Hamilton, rounds out the Para Snowboard team following some strong performances in his debut season.
The Para Alpine team will also see one new athlete in Hester Poole, who is joined by her guide Alistair Hall, while Adam Hall is also named as an additional guide.
Full Squad Selections:
Para Alpine
- Menna Fitzpatrick
- Katie Guest (Guide)
- Adam Hall (Guide)
- Alistair Hall (Guide)
- Hester Poole
- Rob Poth (Guide)
- Andrew Simpson (Guide)
- Neil Simpson
Para Snowboard
- James Barnes-Miller
- Matt Hamilton
- Ollie Hill
- Nina Sparks
Para Nordic
- Scott Meenagh
The Para Alpine World Cup season is due to get underway with speed races from Steinach am Brenner from the 10th – 13th December. Para Snowboard kick off their season in familiar territory with the Banked Slalom World Cup in Landgraaf from the 27th – 29th November whilst the first Para Nordic competitions are in Vuokatti from the 11th – 16th December.
Header Image: Tom Hardman
October session to help budding Paralympians to discovery pathways into High-Performance Winter Sport
ParalympicsGB have partnered with British Curling, Disability Snowsports UK, Snowsport Scotland, Snowsport Cymru Wales, Snowsport England, and GB Snowsport to offer opportunities for budding winter Paralympians to discover their Paralympic Potential.
On Saturday 26 October 2024, events will be held at Preston’s Flower Bowl and Chill Factore in Manchester, providing those seeking a competitive pathway in winter sport with the opportunity to be matched with a qualified coach from Para Snowboard, Para Alpine Skiing, Para Nordic Skiing, or WheelChair Curling, participation in a small group coaching session, and information on the sport, classification, and pathways for continued involvement in some of the country’s most exciting winter sports.
For more information, detailed timings, and sign up opportunities visit the Discover Your Paralympic Potential registration site at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JjgE4NIKfE2xcxCY01G5_bqqffoYZ59IlTMN2qYi40ZUMU44NDFVTVQyV0ZVVUxBQ05SUlRIQVJaUy4u&origin=QRCode.
Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest seal double Crystal Globes from stunning season
Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest concluded a golden 2023-24 season with a scarcely believable 12 World Cup podiums and a brace of Crystal Globes to cement their position as one of the strongest pairings in Visually Impaired Para Alpine skiing.
An overall haul of four Gold, three Silver, and five Bronze World Cup medals saw the pair clinch the Super-G Crystal Globe outright and share the Downhill Crystal Globe, while also taking third in the overall standings, third in Giant Slalom and fourth in Slalom.
Opening their account with Silver and Gold at the St Moritz Downhill World Cups in December, Fitzpatrick and Guest remained consistent right through the season, taking their final podiums of the year in Sella Nevea’s World Cup finals with Slalom Bronze and and Giant Slalom Silver.
Mia Brookes and Zoe Atkin brought their A Games to X Games 2024, while there were Para Alpine podiums to celebrate in Veysonnaz
Brookes and Atkin take Gold and Silver in Aspen
Mia Brookes and Zoe Atkin continued Britain’s proud record at X Games with medals in Freestyle Snowboard Slopestyle and Freeski Superpipe at the 2024 edition of the contest.
Brookes, the second youngest athlete at the invitational event, got the Games off to a stunning start with victory in the Women’s Freestyle competition. Such was Brookes’ dominance of the event that any of her three runs would have scored highly enough to take victory, with flawless rail sections, a Cab 12 on her highest scoring run, and a Cab 14 on her final run.
In the Women’s Freeski Superpipe, Zoe Atkin delivered a super clean display of Halfpipe skiing that included the highest amplitude recorded on the night to take Silver behind Eileen Gu, and back up the Gold medal that she won at X Games 2023.
British interest rounded out with a solid fourth place finish for Brookes in the Freestyle Snowboard Big Air competition.
Fitzpatrick and Guest take Para Alpine Podiums in Veysonnaz
Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest added two more World Cup podiums and two FIS podium to their season tally in a busy week of competition in Veysonnaz. Bronze medals in World Cup Giant Slalom and Super G races were followed with Gold and Silver in FIS Super G competitions to round out a successful week of racing in the Swiss resort.
In the Women’s Seated classification, Shona Brownlee was also in action with a pair of fifth place finishes.
Taylor adds fifth podium of season in Melchsee-Frutt
Jaz Taylor’s remarkable Telemark World Cup campaign continued with a fifth podium of the season in the Melchsee-Frutt Classic World Cup. With third place in the first of the weekend’s competition, Taylor secured her first Classic podium since March 2022, further consolidating top spot in the Telemark overall rankings, where she sits 135 points clear of France’s Lily Chaucheprat. In the Men’s competition, Timote Gough was also in action, with 14th place in the Classic the pick of his results.
And the rest…
In Ski Cross, Ollie Davies made it through to the 1/8 Finals stages at the St. Moritz World Cup to take 20th spot while Scott Johns, on World Cup debut, finished in 58th place. The St. Moritz Snowboard Cross World Cup saw Charlotte Bankes finish just outside the top-10 with an 11th place finish, while Huw Nightingale took 55th spot.
In Moguls, Makayla Gerken Schofield continued their comeback from a knee injury with 22nd place in the Waterville World Cup, while Mateo Jeannesson finished 24th in the Dual Moguls event.
In Cross-Country, James Clugnet sealed his best World Cup result of the season with 20th place in the Sprint F World Cup in Goms and 26th in the 20km F Mass Start, with Andrew Musgrave finishing 12th in the latter.
A record-breaking weekend saw British skiers and snowboarders take eight World Cup podiums
Brookes takes bronze, secures Crystal Globe
The weekend’s first podium arrived with Mia Brookes taking bronze at the Copper Mountain Big Air World Cup, and securing with it the Freestyle Snowboard Big Air Crystal Globe.
A score of 155.75 was enough to propel Brookes into the podium positions, behind Japan’s Kokomo Murase and Mari Fukada in first and second spot. The result, with Reira Iwabuchi finishing in fifth, was enough to confirm Brookes’ Crystal Globe title with three podiums in four Big Air World Cup competitions this season.
Musgrave’s superb silver
Andrew Musgrave secured his best ever World Cup result and matched Britain’s highest finish in Cross-Country World Cup competition with a breathtaking second place finish at the Trondheim Skiathlon World Cup.
Coming into the weekend’s competitions in a rich vein of form with four top-10s under his belt already, Musgrave delivered a near flawless display of Cross-Country skiing to finish in 43:51.4 just 0.7s behind race winner, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. The result gave Musgrave his third World Cup podium, after third place finishes in Toblach in 2017 and Beitostolen in 2022.
Fitzpatrick and Guest strike Gold (and Silver)
Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest ensured the start to the Para Alpine season would be a memorable one, with silver and gold medal finishes in back-to-back Para Alpine Downhill World Cup races in St. Moritz.
After a hugely encouraging showing on day one of competition which yielded an excellent second place, Fitzpatrick and Guest stepped up a gear to take victory on the second day of racing, finishing ahead of South Korea’s Sara Choi and Sanghyun Jung, and Slovakia’s Alexandra Rexova and Hugo Rybar.
Atkin and Muir bank Freeski Bronzes
The Copper Mountain Freeski World Cup saw further bronze medal performances from Kirsty Muir (Freeski Big Air) and Zoe Atkin (Freeski Halfpipe), taking the overall British tally from the competition to three third place finishes.
In her first World Cup of the season, Atkin skied superbly to qualify in first before delivering a highly technical performance to secure the fourth World Cup podium of her career and her second in Copper Mountain.
Muir showed enormous bravery and grit to overcome a nasty looking fall in the second jump of the Freeski Big Air finals to ensure she also secured bronze and a fourth career World Cup podium finish. An overall score of 173.75 was enough to confirm third place, behind France’s Tess Ledeux and Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland.
Double Golds for Jaz Taylor
Telemark sensation Jaz Taylor took the 46th and 47th World Cup podiums of her career, and her first race victories since March 2022, with a brace of stunning Sprint victories in the Pinzolo Telemark World Cup.
The results further cement Taylor’s standing as the pre-eminent Telemark skier of her generation, and as one of the finest British snowsport athletes of all time.
Jeannesson in top-10 again
Mateo Jeanneasson‘s excellent early season form continued in the Alpe d’Huez Moguls World Cup with a ninth place finish giving him a second top-10 of the season. Backing up his stunning sixth place in Ruka with 12th in Idre Fjall, Jeannesson once again made finals with a superb score of 73.58 at the iconic French venue, making him the youngest athlete in the top-10.
Mixed weekend for Snowboard Cross team
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale endured a mixed weekend at the Cervinia Snowboard Cross World Cup, but nevertheless took a commendable fifth place finish in the Mixed Team event to follow their victory in the previous Team World Cup in Les Deux Alpes.
Individual World Cup races saw Nightingale finish in 31st and Bankes in 21st positions.
Guest takes another Europa Cup top-10
Charlie Guest took her second Slalom Europa Cup top-10 finish in a week with seventh place in the Valle Aurina/Ahrntal EC on Saturday, having finished eighth in Mayrhofen the previous week.
World Cup debuts for Carr, Gledhill, and Holden
Amid the good news from this weekend’s performances, there was more to celebrate with World Cup debuts for Cali Carr (Moguls), Gabriel Gledhill (Cross-Country), and Gidget Holden (Freestyle Snowboard Halfpipe).