GB Park and Pipe skier Madi Rowlands (15, Maidstone) made history as she became the first ever Team GB athlete to win a Youth Olympic medal, taking gold in the Ski Halfpipe at Lillehammer 2016 yesterday. 

Rowlands dominated the field throughout and put down the best two runs of the competition at Oslo’s Vinterpark, notching up a score of 88.60 in her second run.“I couldn’t be happier. It’s just so overwhelming,” said Rowlands. “It was nerve-wracking to wait for the others to finish but I felt like I had done enough. I was so stoked with that first run and to land it like I did meant I was able to relax more and not be so nervous in the second and third. There are two main competitions I ultimately want to get to, the X Games and then the Olympics. This is a great step towards that and I’m just so stoked to win.”

A day earlier, 18-year old Katie Ormerod had a huge result in Quebec, Canada, taking second at the FIS World Cup Big Air. Beating a world class field, she took second spot with a backside 7 and backflip. American Jamie Anderson was top of the podium. After the competition Katie said: “So excited to be on my first World Cup podium here in Quebec City for the Big Air! Stoked on 2nd place.”

She is now in Korea along with her GB Park and Pipe teammates for the PyeongChang FIS Ski and Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup this coming weekend, which is also a test event for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Aimee Fuller made it a triple success with her second place finish at the Ale Invite Big Air event in Sweden. At the World Snowboard Tour event, which takes place in Alebacken, Fuller was on form, beating a strong field, but sitting just behind Klaudia Medlova from Slovakia.

Delancey British Alpine Team

Dave Ryding and his fellow competitors faced tricky conditions at the World Cup Slalom in Yuzawa Naeba, Japan. After heavy snowfall the night before, then rain and bad visibility on the second run, Ryding did well to finish and take a 22^nd position.

Dave said after the event: “22nd was what I could manage in Japan. I had some good sections of skiing but not a whole run unfortunately. I’m glad to take 9 World Cup points rather than nothing, so time to move on to Kranjska Gora in three weeks time. I must say it was a great event in Japan, great people and a fun first week over there.”

Charlie Guest took to the FIS podium finishing 1^st  and 2^nd in the Krakauebene Slalom’s over the weekend, following her personal bests of 17^th and 18^th in Pamporovo EC Slalom earlier in the week.

British Aerials Team

On his 21^st Birthday, Lloyd Wallace put in a fantastic performance at the Aerials World Cup in Moscow. Lloyd put down a clean landing on his triple twisting triple, the lay double-full full and scored a 91.85 to take 16^th place.  

On the colossal scaffolding hill, specifically made for the event, conditions had been tricky in training with high winds and changing temperatures, meaning the jumpers didn’t get to practice triple somersaults until just before the competition.

Lloyd’s coach Mich Roth said: “This is all good practice for the future. Lloyd keeps a good focus and can perform well at the right moment.  We have work to do on his form, but we are seeing steady improvement.”

Wallace said after the event: “It was pretty challenging, especially with several crashes throughout the day, so I was really happy to stomp my landing.  It’s been a good birthday.”

Wallace now moves on with the World Cup tour to Minsk, Belarus next week.  With the cancellation of the World Cup finals in Sierra Nevada, Spain due to lack of snow, Saturday’s event in Minsk will be the tour final.  At last year’s event there Lloyd made World Cup Finals for the first time, finishing 11^th.  He will be aiming to match that performance.

British Ski Cross

British Ski Cross racer Emily Sarsfield made it through to the last 16 of the World Cup in Idre Fjall in Sweden on Saturday.

On a big and technical course, Sarsfield finished a fantastic 12^th place on Saturday. After qualifying into the last 16, she unfortunately took a fall in the finals. Yesterday Sarsfield felt she was ‘skiing better’ but unfortunately didn’t quite make it through to quarter-finals.

She was happy with the weekend though and said it was a good event to ‘rebuild confidence’. Emily will race next in Bokwang/ PyeongChang, Korea in the Ski Cross World Cup and Olympic test event on 26^th and 28^th February.

British Nordic Team

The British Nordic Team were in Falun, Sweden this weekend at the Cross Country World Cup. On Saturday Andrew Young took 60^th in the Men’s 10km Classic and Annika Taylor was 65^thin the Women’s 5km Classic. Then on Sunday Young moved up a few places to take 53^rd in the Men’s 15km Freestyle Mass-start and Annika was 63^rd in the 10km equivalent for the women.

Winter Youth Olympic Games

The action continues at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer following Madi Rowlands Gold medal.

On Saturday, Yasmin Cooper and Iain Innes had their first taste of Youth Olympic competition in the Super-G event. Cooper pushed hard but missed a gate and failed to finish her first run, while Innes fared much better - finishing in 32nd - and the 17-year-old from Edinburgh was delighted with the result. “I thought it went really well today. I made a bit of a mistake coming into the finish and probably lost a second or so but overall really happy,” said Innes.

Then yesterday Cooper had a great ski in the Alpine Combined event. Cooper finished the Super-G in 19^th and came down the slalom 16^th quickest to finish 13^th overall. Innes unfortunately DNF in the Men’s Alpine Combined. 

Ski Cross athlete Isobel Brown (16, Ashbourne) races today and Madi Rowlands will go on to compete in the Ski Slopestyle on Friday.  Cal Sandieson (17, Glasgow) competes in the Ski Slopestyle on Saturday.

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