Major and Gorringe top British National Championships podiums at weather affected GB Alpine Championships
In a week that saw heavy snow and severe weather conditions force the cancellation of the majority of the race programme, Billy Major and Giselle Gorringe secured British National Championships Slalom titles at the GB Alpine Championships.
With racing proving impossible on most days, despite the organising team’s best efforts, the 2023 GB Alpine Championships was stripped back to a Slalom only programme which saw men’s and women’s races completed in both the National Championships and National Junior Championships.
In the Women’s National Championships, 19-year-old Giselle Gorringe took the British title and the Evie Pinching Salver, with Molly Butler in second and Lois Jackson taking third. Butler’s finishing position was enough to secure her both the British U18 Schools Abroad Trophy and the Non-Team Ladies Ski Club Challenge Cup in an excellent showing for the 16-year-old.
The International podium saw France’s Tea Lamboray in first place ahead of Lara Briguet of Switzerland and Laurine Lugon-Moulin of France in third spot.
The Men’s National Championship saw a 1-2 of World Cup Squad talent in the British National Ski Union Cup, with Billy Major edging out Laurie Taylor, and Ed Guigonnet in third place. The British Non-Team Baird Trophy went to David Christey, competing in his fifth GB Alpine Championships, while the British U18 Schools Abroad Trophy was taken by Luca Carrick Smith.
The Men’s International podium saw Reto Maechler finish in top spot, with Paco Rassat and Leo Anguenot sharing the silver medal position.
The Women’s National Junior Alpine Championships Slalom races saw a U21 Women’s Podium led by Lucy Jackman, with Alisa Hay in the silver medal spot, and Maureen Lambert taking third. The U18 International Podium was topped by Britain’s Molly Butler ahead of Mathilde Phillips of Switzerland and Myrthe Jager of the Netherlands, while the Ski Club of Great Britain Salver podium saw Lucy Jackman in top spot ahead of Alisa Hay and Hannah Phillips.
The British U18 ESC Cup saw another victory for Molly Butler with Maisie Blyth in second and Lauren Bloom in third.
In the Men’s National Junior Alpine Championships, the U21 International Podium was led by Lucas Ellis ahead of Pablo Guillot-Corouge and Paco Duffaud, while Luca Carrick-Smith took an excellent victory in the U18 category with Jules Michel-Mazan in second and Kieran Woolley in third.
The British NJC Walter Hutchinson Challenge Cup was won by Lucas Ellis with Toby Jennings and Aidan Urquhart in silver and bronze medal spots respectively, while the British U18 Dragon Ski Cup went to Luca Carrick-Smith with Kieran Woolley second and Harry Duncan rounding out the podium in third place.