Oscar skis to English championship podium place

CHICHESTER skier Oscar McCall toasted his successful outing at the English Alpine Championships after picking up a sensational podium finish on the slopes of Bormio.
Oscar McCall in action at the English Alpine ChampionshipsOscar McCall in action at the English Alpine Championships
Oscar McCall in action at the English Alpine Championships

The English Alpine Championships, organised by national governing body Snowsport England, help provide an early glimpse of the stars of tomorrow.

And with 400 of the country’s best alpine skiers descending upon the Italian resort for the 20th running of the event, McCall - who trains with the British Ski Academy - had his work cut out for him.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But he showed he was one of the ones to watch, coming a brilliant third behind Charlie Leach and Charles Rankin in the under-16 boys Giant Slalom event, just over a second away from an English national title.

And despite crashing out of the Slalom event later in the week and finishing 11th in the Super G race, the 15-year-old Churcher’s College School student was satisfied with a job well done in Bormio.

“I really wasn’t expecting to podium so I am very happy,” he said. “I haven’t been skiing very well this season, and this is definitely my best result so far.

“My ambition is to try to make ski racing my career. I try to spend significant spells training in the Alps with British Ski Academy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This is a great result for me and is only going to help me in achieving my dream. Hopefully I can do even better in the future.”

The English Alpine Championships are an important step for any young skier, with British Olympians Chemmy Alcott and Dave Ryding both having competed at the competition.

Alcott, now retired from racing, took in the action all week from the sidelines, and she believes she has already seen several stars in the making.

She said: “The competition has been absolutely unreal so far. I’ve never seen such great skiing from British athletes of all ages.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

* The English Alpine Championships, organised by Snowsport England, are run every year in the Italian resort of Bormio. Follow the action via www.englishalpinechamps.org.uk or @SnowsportEng on Twitter.

Want to get into skiing or snowboarding? Find your nearest slope offering value-for-money GO SKI GO BOARD sessions at www.goskigoboard.org.uk

JACK MILLER

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking sports news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex

3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

Share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!