CHEMMY ALCOTT ACHIEVES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BEST IN VAL D'ISERE

British champion Chemmy Alcott raced to a personal best finish in the FIS World Championship Super G discipline in the race held at Val D’Isere in France earlier today, less than 12 weeks after breaking her ankle in a training accident in Canada.

Recording a time of 1min 25.19secs, Alcott, 26, from Twickenham, finished 20th in today’s race, which was won by Lindsey Vonn of the USA. Alcott thus beat her previous world championship Super G best of 22nd, set in 2005 at Santa Caterina in Italy. Today’s result was also her second best-ever in any FIS World Championship event, almost matching her 19th place in the Downhill in 2005.

Alcott had started the season well, finishing 10th in the FIS World Cup Giant Slalom race in Soelden, Austria, in October before her training accident. An intensive rehabilitation programme enabled her to return to racing three weeks ago and her 15th place in the FIS World Cup Giant Salom at Cortina D’Ampezzo nine days ago and last weekend’s 21st place in the FIS World Cup Super G race at Garmisch Partenkirchen showed that she was returning to form after the injury.

Alcott will also compete in the Downhill, Super Combined, Giant Slalom and Slalom events at Val D’Isere where Britain’s men skiers begin their championships tomorrow (Wednesday, February 4) with Ed Drake of Kingston-upon-Thames and Dougie Crawford of Glasgow both set for the Super G race.

British Alpine Ski Team Head Coach Mark Tilston said: “It was a creditable performance given that six weeks ago, Chemmy was still on crutches. It was also a difficult course, with lot of turns and bumps and it was raced in flat light conditions. It is a realistic indication of where we expected her to be, given her lack of snow time this season.”