Ipswich skier Alexa Elliff wins two medals at Delancey British Children’s Championships

Isabelle Lander on the slopes (Image: Archant)

The event welcomed almost 300 of Britain’s most talented young skiers to the slopes of Tignes.

Having secured top spot on the podium in the Under-14 Slalom with a combined time of 1:37.57, the Ipswich High School for Girls pupil backed up her success with silver in Wednesday’s Super G.

That achievement proved to be the 13-year-old’s final podium finish of the week as she missed out on a spot in the top three in the Giant Slalom, finishing just 0.73 seconds short of the bronze medal-winning time.

But while disappointed to not get her hands on the overall prize, Elliff insists there are plenty of positives to take from her performances in Tignes.

“I was a bit scared coming into the Giant Slalom because I knew I had the overall title at stake,” she said.

“I think the nerves affected me in the first run, so I didn’t really give it my full charge.

“That led to me being a second-and-a-half off the pace which was not what I wanted heading into the second run.

“I knew I had to put everything into it and I did, I’m really proud of that second run and I think it was one of the best Giant Slaloms I have ever skied, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough.

“I’m really gutted to have missed out on the podium.

“I was a mixture of excited and nervous coming into today, because the Giant Slalom isn’t my strongest discipline.

“I didn’t really know what to expect, but I’d done well so far so I wasn’t feeling too bad.”

And following on from a season of great success on the snow, Elliff has already turned her attentions to next winter’s campaign as she looks to continue her rapid progression.

“I definitely look back at these Championships with pride. It has only been my second season of racing so it’s a massive achievement to have won the Slalom and finished second in the Super G,” she said.

“It has been amazing, I’m definitely going to remember it as a good one.

“I’ve loved being out here, it’s definitely one of the most fun Championships of the season. Everyone from everywhere is here.

“It has been my best season to date, even though it’s only my second! I’ve won a lot and been on the podiums, and I have learnt so much.

“You really have to give it your all, there is nothing to protect and you can’t guarantee anything.

“I definitely want to work on my Giant Slalom for next season, that needs some work because when I go full pelt, I tend to make some technical mistakes that I can’t afford.”

It was a successful week too for Chelmsford’s Isabelle Lander, as she took her place on the podium in the Under-16 Slalom with a combined time of 1:46.10.

That result placed her third in the standings behind Daisi Daniels and Siena Horton, and with family watching on from the bottom of the piste, 14-year-old Lander couldn’t have been happier as she took her place on the podium.

“I’m really happy with my performance,” she said. “I had a good run in the first which was good because my coaches had told me how important it was to get a solid run in.

“In the second run, I knew I had nothing to lose so I decided to absolutely charge it.

“I felt really confident, and it’s nice to have bands playing in the background while we ski.

“My brother came to watch me and he’s never really seen me race before, so it’s nice to have him here.”

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