Chemmy Alcott retires after final race at Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships
Four-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott skied her final ever competitive race today in Meribel at the Delancey British National Alpine Championships. She will now retire from world class ski racing but still plans to stay in the world of snowsports.
In her final race Chemmy went out in style, wearing a traditional Austrian dress (see attached photos) as she descended through the slalom gates in the Super Combined race. And to finish off the outfit she had ‘That’s All Folks’ emblazoned on her race helmet.
An emotional Chemmy said after her final race: “It hasn’t quite sunk in yet that this is my last ever ski race. When I was in the start date I thought ‘this is the last time I will be in this position’ and I had to fight back some tears. But then as I started skiing I really enjoyed it and seeing all the people I care about in the finish area was really special.
“This has been my best ever British Championships. I took the pressure off myself and there is so much support and it’s also the first time I feel like I can give back to the younger girls. This event would be nothing without the support of Delancey and specifically Sir John Ritblat who has been supporting British skiing for 36 years. He has put everything into this event and his passion for our sport is unrivalled. We owe so much to him.
“Today has been really emotional. I have put my heart and soul into this sport and to end it having fun like I did when I started is just great! I hope my legacy is to show people that you can pick yourself up when you are down. I’ve always taken risks and pushed the boundaries. I want younger racers to do the same but not forget why we do this sport and that is because we love it.
“I want to thank my fiancée Dougie Crawford who has been there through all the hard times. He has always been behind me and he completely understands what I am going through. I also want to thank my sponsors. I have been doing this independently for so long I wouldn’t have got to where I did without them.”
On what’s next: “I know I want to stay in skiing. I am keen to do some TV work in skiing and hopefully some TV adventuring. I also feel like I have a lot of experiences to pass onto the younger races so I will definitely do some consultancy work with athletes. Charity work will also continue to be a big part of my career.”
Chemmy Alcott’s skiing career has spanned 23 years and she has recorded five top 10 World Cup finishes. Her highest World Cup ranking was 8th and she has won the Senior British National Alpine Ski Championships overall title 7 times. Recently Chemmy finished 19th in the Women’s Downhill and 23rd in the Super G at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
The 2014 Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships - the biggest event in the British Alpine ski racing calendar is supported for the fourth year by Delancey who is also the Principal Sponsor of British Ski and Snowboard. The Senior and Junior Championships take place from 30 March to 7 April, followed by the Under 16 and Under 14 Championships, from 8 April to 11 April.
Over at the World Junior Freestyle Skiing Championships in Italy, British Ski and Snowboard teammate and Winter Olympian Katie Summerhayes took gold in the Women’s Ski Slopestyle earlier today.
Full results from the Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships can be found on the official website: www.britishalpinechamps.com.
Further information on British Ski and Snowboard visit www.teambss.org.uk and on Delancey and the services they provide visit www.delancey.com.
