Manchester skier Daisi Daniels admitted a slow first run had cost her an English national title, after she finished second in the Slalom on day two of the 2017 English Alpine Championships in Bormio, Italy.
Monday’s action saw the racers enjoy near-perfect conditions on the resort’s Stella Alpina piste, with clear blue skies and compact snow making for some compelling racing.
But Beech House School student Daniels was playing catch-up after the first run of the English girls under-16 Slalom, where she found herself almost five seconds off the lead.
A scintillating second run however – the fastest of anyone on the day – took her up to second on the podium behind Siena Horton, and Daniels was thrilled with her resilience.
“I had a few technical problems with my skiing before the race today, so when I got into the start gate I thought I just have to make today a great day,” she said.
“It was a turny course, so I knew I had to go for it. You have to try and do everything you can to try and get that title of English Champion.
“My first run wasn’t great, but I was within the top 15. So for run two, I had thought I had nothing to lose so I just went for it.
“I decided to hammer every gate, and although I made a few mistakes, when I crossed the line I was so happy when I saw that I had made up so much time.”
The Championships are celebrating their tenth year in Bormio, with over 400 of the country’s most talented skiers – ranging from under-10s to senior racers – flocking to the Italian resort to battle it out for the coveted English titles.
Most of Britain’s most revered racers of recent times competed in the Championships during the early stages of their careers, including four-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott and current racers Cara Brown and Dave Ryding.
Ryding is enjoying the season of his career so far, with the 29-year-old consistently inside the top ten on the slalom circuit and becoming only the second British man to achieve a World Cup alpine podium at the Kitzbühel Slalom last month.
And having competed at the Championships between 2003 and 2007, claiming the English slalom title in his final year, Ryding believes that for the likes of Daniels the competition is a vital stepping stone.
“I have always targeted specific races as goals during the season, depending on the level I was at that particular time,” he said.
“When I was in my teens the English Alpine Championships meant absolutely everything to me, and at the time I valued it on par with how I value the World Cup events now.
“I did everything I could to do as well as I could, and it was a great stepping stone to how I will be valuing the world champs in a week’s time.”
Follow the English Alpine Championships on the Snowsport England Facebook page and get live updates on Twitter @SnowsportEng. Full results will be available at www.snowsportengland.org.uk while you can find your nearest slope offering value-for-money GO SKI GO BOARD sessions at www.goskigoboard.org.uk
Image courtesy of Racer Ready, with thanks.
