David Ryding beats one of the worlds best skiers and croatian no.1
David Ryding yesterday warmed up for next week's Delancey British Alpine Championships by beating one of the World's best skiers and Croatian No.1 in Croatia's own National Ski Championships.
Dave beat Ivica Kostelic in the first of the two run slalom event by 0.2 of a second in front of Kostelic's home crowd in Zagreb yesterday. Kostelic who is currently ranked no.1 in the world for slalom and who is ranked 4th overall in this year's Alpine World Cup, responded with a stunning second run nearly 0.8 of a second faster than Ryding to win overall by 0.52 of a second. Fellow Croatian, Natko ZRNCIC-DIM, who had led both Ryding and Kostelic, finished in overall second place with Ryding eventually having to settle for the third podium spot.
Dave Edwards, Chief Executive of British Skiing, who only last week pointed out how British skiers could beat the best in the world if only they had the correct support said "Dave has had a fantastic second half of the season and beating the world number one, albeit on just the first run, shows what British skiers are capable of. If we could find the correct support for David and the others for the next two years then a skiing medal would be a real prospect at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Dave will now be very firm favourite to take the slalom at next week's Delancey British National Championships. I do not believe that Kostelic has entered yet!"
Attended by the Earl of Wessex, The Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships is the biggest event on the British alpine calendar, and provides the opportunity for young British athletes such as Dave Ryding to race on the same pistes recently chosen by FIS to host the Finals of the Alpine Ski World Cup in 2015.
Dave from Leyland in Lancashire - who honed his talents at Pendle Dry Ski Slope in Whalley - will be hoping 2012 is as successful a year as 2011 was, when he took home the National Ski Union Challenge Cup in the Slalom and the Ski Club of Great Britain Challenge Cup in the Giant Slalom.
The Championships will once again be sponsored by specialist real estate investors Delancey, who continue to provide support to British Alpine Skiing, and who have recently partnered with Qatari Diar to purchase and lead the legacy of the Athletes Village in the Queen Elizabeth Park after the 2012 Games.
Details of the Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships, including race programs and details of how to attend as spectator can be found on the official website: www.britishalpinechamps.com. Further information on Delancey and the services they provide can be found on: www.delancey.com.
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For further information, photography or to arrange an interview with Dave Edwards or one of the BSS elite athletes please contact:
Kirsty Buchanan on +44 207 842 5764 or email BuchananK@teamGB.com / Fraser.Mackinnon@teamgb.com
or Katharine Walsh +44 7957 855102 or email Katharine.walsh@delancey.com.
