Update from Zoe Gillings on the Olympic trail

Update from Zoe Gillings on the Olympic trail
Photo: Mike Weyerhaeuser

Sun 06 December 09

Five weeks ago, Zoe Gillings left the UK for Europe to complete her final leg of on snow training before competing in the most important season of her career to date – taking in the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, on February 16th 2010

Zoe has spent the last 5 weeks in between Hintertux, Austria and the Portes Du Soleil, France where she has been finalising some much needed training having only made 3 days on snow training this summer instead of the planned 5-6 weeks due to a financial crisis within her sport. It’s only with the great support of all of Zoe’s sponsors, but with particular emphasis on Pokerstars and the endless efforts of UK Sport and the British Olympic Association that has allowed Zoe to train at all this season. “The last 4 weeks have been good, it’s been great to get back on snow and I’ve been training on a really good course. I’m doing my last training on snow this week then I’m leaving for the US on Tuesday next week, I can’t wait to start racing again.”

Zoe Gillings
Photo: ZGChill.com

Zoe started her season in September where she took a 10th and 2nd place respectively competing in Argentina but knows the season ahead is going to be one of the fiercest ever, “Snowboard X has become so much more popular since Turin (Olympics) back in 2006, training has become more high tech and there are so many more talented snowboarders competing on the circuit, it’s going to be tough but I’ve also introduced my own developments in my program so hopefully they will pay off too!”

The last 4 months have seen Zoe pay particular attention to improving her start technique. “I’ve been working on improving my start technique all summer, its been great because UK Sport Research and Development designed and built me a start gate with loads of technical measurements on it which I connect to my laptop, I can train in the gym in Bath just as good as if I was in the start on a mountain in Colorado.”

Zoe now heads to Telluride, USA where she will be competing in the Snowboard X World Cup competition on the 19th December.

Zoe Gillings Fit and Ready for USA SBX Dec 2011
Zoe Gillings is about to finish her on snow training in Hintertux, Austria, before heading out to the first World cup SBX competition of the 2011/12 season on December 15th in Colorado, USA. -16Nov11
Zoe Gillings comes 3rd in Arosa
Britains Zoe Gillings re-affirmed herself as one of the best snowboard cross athletes in the World when she finished on the podium in 3rd place at the World Cup Snowboard cross finals in Arosa, Switzerland. -27Mar11
Zoe Gillings triumps in Italy
Brit Zoe Gillings clinched two back to back victories in Gressoney, Italy at the weekend in the Italian SBX Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) Snowboard cross. -28Feb11
British Olympic Snowboarding funding dropped
The morons at UK Sport who control the budgets for funding athletes for the Olympic games, have cut all spending for snowboarders and skiers in the run up to the 2014 games, despite receiving almost double the budget. Instead it will be wasted on pointless non-participation tray and blade sports -17Dec10
Olympic snowboard preparations
Snow is finally falling at Cypress Mountain and the games are ready to start in Canada -11Feb10

Related categories

:: Zoe Gillings stories
:: 2010 Winter Olympics stories

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