Third place proves a tough battle

Skiing

Canterbury skier Natalia Harte admits she was relieved to battle through illness and claim a bronze medal at the British Championships on Sunday. The Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships are taking place in the ski resort of Tignes, France, from March 20-April 1. The super-g event opened proceedings on day one and Harte posted a time of 1.28.58 minutes to ultimately finish third behind World Cup regular Alex Tilley and Cara Brown, although the 23-yearold said her celiac disease (auto-immune disorder) had an adverse affect on her performance. She said: “I guess it has not been a good day for me. I suffer from celiac disease and this is in no way an excuse for my skiing but I get quite dizzy and sick and quite hysterical. “During the first run, I couldn’t stop crying and I had an all right run until halfway down – I was quite pleased with it – but then it went rubbish and I have no idea why. “It wasn’t an awful day and getting a bronze despite feeling so bad is definitely a positive. I’m still standing on my feet, so I’m happy.” Harte was some way behind Tilley and Brown in the race for the title but is convinced that when she is at her best, she can challenge at the top of the rankings. She said: “I’ve had moments this season where I’ve been all right and getting close to Alex and Cara but the super-g wasn’t one of those moments. “I’ve been getting better and hopefully in another couple of weeks, it should be getting even better. Some of my races this season have been really good, some have been awful but I think that’s how it goes in ski racing. “I’ve been inconsistent this season, so improving my consistency is a goal for me.” Natalia wasn’t the only member of the Harte family to enjoy success on Sunday as her younger sister Giulia secured a bronze medal in the under-18 women’s Super-g.