With just one speed ski event left on the 2017/18 FIS World Cup calendar, the season is all but over, however there was still some great action last week and over the weekend.
Press Release
British freestyle skiers were in France for the final halfpipe World Cup of the season while the British Telemark Team was in Switzerland for the World Cup Finals and Junior World Championships, and once again it was Jasmin Taylor creating the headlines.
FIS Telemark World Cup – Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 March – Mürren SUI
FIS Telemark Junior World Championships – Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 March – Mürren SUI
Jasmin Taylor wrapped up her amazing World Cup season in emphatic fashion in Mürren, scoring her fourth World Cup victory of the season on Thursday.
Taylor fought hard to come from behind in her parallel sprint semi-final to guarantee herself a top-two finish, then powered through the final to finish on top.
The victory was her 14th top three finish of the season, bringing her career tally to 22 podiums. She is now in striking distance of freestyle skier Jilly Curry who holds the all-time British record of 29 World Cup podiums between 1987 and 1994.
At the World Cup Finals Taylor also scored an equal-fifth in the team parallel sprint, fourth in the sprint and sixth in the Classic.
Taylor finished the season in fourth place on the World Cup standings, with her best ranking coming in the parallel sprint where she was second.
The World Cup Finals also coincided with the World Junior Championships, where Naïla Cardwell’s top ten finish in the ladies’ classic was the best British result.
FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup – Wednesday 21 March – Tignes FRA
The final World Cup of the season didn’t prove to be the happiest of hunting grounds for Britain’s skiers which took to the halfpipe in Tignes.
After finishing seventh at the Winter Olympics, Rowan Cheshire was primed for a strong performance but her competition was over before it started when she snapped a ski during a fall in practice. Molly Summerhayes flew the flag in the ladies’ competition, finishing 15th but unable to qualify for the final.
In the men’s competition, Olympians Murray Buchan and Pete Speight were joined by World Cup debutant Sam Ward.
Seventeen-year-old Ward landed a run in his first competition at this level, however none of the British trio were able to qualify for the final. Pete Speight was the best-placed British skier in 17th.
Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships – 25 March to 1 April – Tignes FRA
The Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships kicked off in Tignes yesterday with some fantastic racing and close results.
It was ‘Super G Sunday’ where 2017 champions Cara Brown and Iain Innes defended their titles, although Innes had to share the spoils with Charlie Raposo after the clock couldn’t separate the pair.
Innes also claimed the men’s U21 National Junior Championship while Owen Vinter won the U18 NJC. Yasmin Cooper was victorious in the ladies’ U21 NJC while Victoria Palla won the U18 NJC.