Chill Factore, Manchester, hosted the first ever FIS European Indoor Moguls Championships last weekend.
With 35 world-class athletes in attendance from Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy, Japan, USA and Great Britain, the skiing standard and level of competition was high with the crowds being wowed by extraordinary skills on the well prepared moguls course. The contest had two single moguls competitions using the Olympic format and two dual moguls competitions.
In a busy weekend of competition, Japanese athlete Ikuma Hiroshima was dominant in the men’s competition, winning the European Moguls Singles, as well as taking the European Duals Elimination title. In the female field Demi Corstjens from the Netherlands put in some strong performances, taking the British Moguls Singles and the European Duals Elimination title. Equalling her was Melanie Mellinger from Austria who took the British Duals Elimination titles and the Women’s British Duals title.
Andrew Longley produced the best British performance taking the European Men’s Duals title. Thea Fenwick and Francesca Lee also performed well for Great Britain, both making finals with Thea Fenwick taking the British titles. Will Feneley, the ever-improving National Academy for Moguls athlete, took the British Dual Moguls title.
Japan coach and Olympian Janne Lahtela, who won a mogul gold medal for Finland at Salt Lake 2002, was full of praise for the event, saying the course was ‘amazing’ and the standard of skiing ‘very high’.
More team info and results here.