Skiing: Silver lining for Highgate's Gorringe
PUBLISHED: 15:00 19 April 2019
Giselle Gorringe in action (pic Racer Ready)
Highgate's Giselle Gorringe was delighted to win a silver medal in the under-16 giant slalom at the 2019 GB Alpine Championships.
The 15-year-old set a combined time of 1:40.01 on her way to the runners-up spot in Tignes.
It saw the North London Collegiate School student bounce back after crashing out in the Super G earlier in the competition – as well as an agonising fourth-place finish in the slalom.
The Dragons Ski Club racer was particularly happy with her second run, where she was the fastest of all the racers with a time of 50.82 seconds.
"I had the fastest time on the second run so I was particularly happy with that one because it felt more like I've been skiing in training," Gorringe said.
"The first run is always a learning experience. The timing of the run was not where I wanted to be and it just did not feel quite there but I'm still really happy to have finished second.
"It's something I can keep working on. Mindset is a huge thing and I didn't have many expectations. I just tried to go into the race thinking about having a lot of fun and seeing what I could do with it.
"I had an interesting week with falling during the Super G and slalom was not quite there for me, even though that's my favourite discipline."
More than 300 youngsters took part across 12 different disciplines and age groups, after a week of exhilarating action at the GB Delancey Alpine Championships, where some of the country's best senior skiers battled it out.
The event is a breeding ground for a new generation of British alpine talent, as the UK aims to become one of the top five Olympic ski and snowboarding nations by 2030.
And Gorringe is excited to make the next step, adding: "I didn't feel I was quite on top form but now I feel happier – particularly after the outcome in the giant slalom.
"I'm excited to head into FIS racing now. It's a different experience and a new big step where you are down at the bottom again but I'm looking forward to it because there are more opportunities to race and less riding on each one. That will probably suit me and my style of skiing a bit more."
*Follow all the action from the 2019 GB Alpine Championships by visiting gbsnowsport.com, following @gbsnowsport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and using the hashtag #GBAlpineChamps.