Five Countries, Five World Cups For British Ski And Snowboard Athletes
Fourteen British Ski and Snowboard athletes will hit their various fields of play this weekend with World Cup events taking place in five countries across three continents.
The Alpine World Cup moves from Europe to North America with events in Canada and the United States, the GB Park and Pipe Team will be represented in Austria and China while the British Nordic Team begins its World Cup campaign in Finland.
FIS Cross Country World Cup – Friday 24 to Sunday 26 November – Ruka FIN
Ladies’ Sprint, Classic and Free Pursuit –Annika Taylor and Nichole Bathe
Men’s Sprint Classic and Free Pursuit –Andrew Musgrave, Callum Smith and James Clugnet
The British Nordic Team head to their first World Cup of the season in Ruka following a strong performance last weekend at Beitostølen, Norway.
This weekend’s contest will see the Sprint events taking place on Friday followed by the Ladies’ 10km and Men’s 15km Classic races on Saturday. The Ladies’ 10km and Men’s 15km Freestyle events will then be raced in the pursuit format on Sunday to determine the weekend’s overall standings.
Andrew Musgrave achieved two top 10 results last weekend, including fourth in the 15km Freestyle, and will be hoping to carry that form into the first World Cup of this Olympic season. He will line-up alongside James Clugnet and Callum Smith.
Annika Taylor and Nichole Bathe both achieved top 30 results in Norway and will be looking for another strong outing at Ruka.
Some of these events will be available on Eurosport 1 or Eurosport 2 from Friday to Sunday.
FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup – Friday 24 to Saturday 25 November – Beijing CHN
Men’s Big Air – Matt McCormick
Air + Style Beijing has joined the FIS Snowboard World Cup circuit and will host this season’s second event at the Worker’s Stadium in the Beijing’s Chaoyang District.
Matt McCormick will be the sole GB Park & Pipe representative in China, hopeful of continuing his strong form from the Big Air World Cup in Milan two weeks ago.
McCormick scored a top 20 result in Italy and only narrowly missed out on the final after finishing seventh in his heat. It was his best ever Big Air World Cup result since his debut last November in Korea.
FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup – Friday 24 to Sunday 26 November – Stubai AUT
Men’s Slopestyle – Tyler Harding, Chris McCormick and Mike Rowlands
Ladies’ Slopestyle – Izzy Atkin, Katie Summerhayes and Madi Rowlands
Six GB Park and Pipe skiers will take on the Slopestyle course in Stubai, looking to maintain some strong results from both the end of last season and September’s World Cup season opener in Cardrona, New Zealand.
Izzy Atkin is set to begin her World Cup campaign following a standout 2016/17 season. Atkin finished fourth overall in the Slopestyle World Cup standings after victory at the final event in Switzerland in March, then followed that up two weeks later with bronze at the World Championships.
She will be joined in Stubai by 2014 Olympian Katie Summerhayes and 17-year-old Madi Rowlands who finished ninth and 13th respectively in Cardrona.
Summerhayes placed seventh at Sochi and the 2015 World Championships silver medallist has scored four of her nine World Cup top tens since January to prove she continues to be a force to be reckoned with.
Rowlands, who took bronze in slopestyle at the Winter Youth Olympics last year, has never finished outside the top 13 her six World Cup starts in the discipline.
Tyler Harding – who turned 21 in October and finished 21st at the World Championships earlier this year – goes into the event as the most experienced of the British trio with McCormick and Rowlands – brother of Madi – featuring in just three World Cups between them before this weekend.
FIS Alpine World Cup – Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 November
Killington USA: Ladies’ Giant Slalom/Slalom – Alex Tilley
Lake Louise CAN: Men’s Downhill/Super G – Jack Gower
Two members of the Delancey British Alpine Ski Team are in North America for World Cup events over the next fortnight. This weekend Alex Tilley will contest the Giant Slalom and Slalom at Killington while Jack Gower is in Canada for the Downhill and Super G.
Tilley has been without luck in her opening pair of World Cup appearances this season, but her speed shone through last weekend with a confidence-boosting victory in a FIS race in Levi, Finland.
Gower, who in September won a South American Cup race in Chile, scored two top 30 Giant Slalom results last weekend in the Nor-Am Cup at Copper Mountain. Lake Louise will represent Gower’s World Cup debut, his biggest race since gaining a top 40 Giant Slalom finish as a 20-year-old at the 2015 World Championships.
Wednesday’s Downhill training was cancelled due to wet snow and warm conditions, however organisers are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year when the event was cancelled due to a lack of snow.
Some events will be broadcast live or on replay by Eurosport UK. Check schedules for details.
NON-WORLD CUP EVENTS
Ski Cross Europa Cup – Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 November – Pitztal AUT
Snowboard Cross Europa Cup – Wednesday 29 & Thursday 30 November – Pitztal AUT
The first Ski Cross World Cup of the season takes place at Val Thorens, France in December, with this Europa Cup event the final competitive event for the squad before competition steps up a gear.
Emma Peters, who reached the final of a FIS event in Switzerland earlier this month will be joined by Emily Sarsfield, Pam Thorburn and Liz Stevenson in the Ladies’ Ski Cross. Like Peters, Ollie Davies also competed strongly in FIS races in Saas-Fee three weeks ago, claiming two Men’s Ski Cross podiums and he will he hoping to carry that form into just his third-ever Europa Cup event.
Three-time Olympian Zoe Gillings-Brier and British Snowsports Fund grant recipient Maisie Potter started their Snowboard Cross World Cup seasons in Argentina in September and will use Pitztal as the launchpad into an important block of racing which features three World Cups before Christmas.
