Charlie charges up the world rankings
Confidence booster before busy winter schedule
Perthshire Olympian Charlie Guest is heading into the winter ski season with a new career-high world ranking.
The St Martins-based slalom star is riding on the crest of a wave – or slope in this case – after a confidenceboosting performance in New Zealand.
Guest was standing top of the podium following a solid showing at the Winter Games NZ as training preparations intensify for the season.
It was the perfect way to kick off the coming months and the 24-year-old said: “I am absolutely over the moon.
“It has been two years since I put down a personal best and to do it in August just takes so much pressure off of me for this season.
“It means I can now just focus on my Europa Cup and World Cup results and spend a lot of my time making sure that I am ready for World Champs in February.
“My world ranking has been more than halved and I am down to 63rd in the world for slalom – my best ranking
Charlie has been lifted by early-season form and race win in New Zealand ever and back to being the best-ranked with better piste conditions, so I have a ladies slalom racer in Britain. better shot at mixing in with the top 30.”
“It is massive for confidence. I made This is not the first time that Guest a big equipment change in April and has taken advantage of New Zealand’s switched ski brands from HEAD to pristine slopes at this time of the year. Fischer. “Training has been great so far,” she
“So this just goes to show that my said. “We are only down here in New equipment is working and we have a Zealand for four weeks this year, and fast set-up, so it takes away the pressure didn’t come down at all last year, opting of having to think about that. to stay in Europe on the glaciers.
“It will help my start numbers in “We completed a lot of training both Europa Cup and World Cup as well indoor and on the glacier in Saas Fee meaning that I will get to start earlier, before coming to New Zealand this Charlie speeds down the slopes at Coronet Peak in New Zealand year, which I think set us in good stead to be hitting the races here fresh and with good motivation.
“It is just so beneficial to be able to train on real winter snow and be able to spend as long as we like on the mountain without being rushed because of the temperatures and melting snow.
“Obviously it is a beautiful place to be training and I have so many friends and family down here now.
“So it is just a great place for me to be in terms of being able to train hard but also enjoy life on the side as well.”
The winter schedule is going to be a busy one.
And Guest went on: “After getting home from New Zealand, I will have a short break at home before heading out to Switzerland and then Austria for the next couple of on snow camps.
“Physical preparation is still a massive part of the programme, so I will still be in the gym daily and making sure that my body stays good to go.
“Racing for me starts at the end of November, so the focus will just be in getting good quality training so I can hit those in peak shape.”
It will help my start numbers in the Europa Cup and World Cup, I will get to start earlier