Top-four place snow mean feat for Peters
SKIING
SOUTH Tyneside skier Emma Peters has added to her growing list of success on the slopes with a podium fiinish in Switzerland.
The 19-year-old from Cleadon, the reigning British ski cross champion, claimed a creditable fourth place at the Swiss National Championships in Hoch Ybrig.
Peters had to contend with poor weather - which meant the course had to pass a pre-race inspection and just one training run before clinching her top-four spot.
She said: “Every ski cross course is completely different and although the course only had small features as a result of the rain the jumps were made to be kicky.
“This made it harder to absorb to maintain speed and control and even the top Swiss guys fell on the training run as a result of the unexpected lip on the jump.
“Ranked sixth at the start of the race, my first heat went smoothly, qualifying in second with no problems.
“Next was the semi final round. This was a tough heat and it would decide whether I would go through to the big final (places one to four) or the small final (five to eight).
“In the heat I was ranked third best - therefore having third choice of start gats which resulted in me choosing the far left-hand gate.
“This gave me an advantage of being able to push my own line around the first left-hand bend and successfully claimsecond place in the semi-finals heat. I was through to the big final.”
Peters went on: “Being slightly out numbered three to one by the Swiss, I knew it was going to be hard as they had trained and coursetested the track earlier in the week.
“A mistake in the technical start section put me into fourth place but still hot on the heals of all three swiss riders.
“After trying to make a move on the inside to overtake on the corner jump, my line fell low and I lost the speed I had gained.
“This resulted in me running out of track to make another move before reaching the finish line.
“However, I was so stoked to have finished a big final even though it was in fourth place.
“My aim beforehand was to make the big final so I was very pleased to achieve that.”
Peters went on: “It has been a difficult year for me with no ski cross coach, national funding or a team to train with after losing my main financial sponsor prior to the season’s start.
“A big thank you also goes out to Steve and Kate at ‘Why Aint You Jibbin’ for giving me a job and letting me stayat their base in Austria for the season.
“They are a world-class freestyle academy who specialise in slope style, a different skiing disciple.
“Not forgetting mum and dad and Melton College in York for stepping in to fund my race fees for the forthcoming World Junior Championships.”