Where to Ski And Snowboard - Skier Chemmy Alcott breaks leg

Skier Chemmy Alcott breaks leg

28th August 2013, by Abi Butcher

Putting on a brave face: skier Chemmy Alcott is still aiming for Sochi 2014

Skier Chemmy Alcott has broken her leg training. It is yet another setback for the 31-year-old whose career has been dogged by injury — but she maintains she will still race in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Chemmy is currently Britain’s top Alpine skier, and has twice finished 11th at the Winter Olympics, but she shattered her leg in a fall in Canada in 2010 and was forced to pull out of the 2013 World Championships because of the same injury. Earlier this week she was training with the Norwegian team in the Swiss resort of Saas Fee.

“Slight set back in my Sochi prep as the last day of a fabulous camp where I was skiing technically stronger than ever. Had a little whoopsie. Re-broken my leg. Clean, easy break. Already weight bearing,” Chemmy wrote on Facebook. “Medical opinion is I’ll miss first races but be good to go full speed ahead after.

“Unfortunate setback but I am used to the adversity, just another chapter before the Hollywood finish in Sochi!”

But there is good news in the British camp, too, with freestyle medal hopes looking strong for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics after good results in the FIS Freestyle World Cup in Cardrona, New Zealand.

On Saturday, current ski slopestyle world champion Brit James “Woodsy” Woods took silver in the first World Cup event of the season. Woodsy, 21, led the competition on Sunday until the last run when he was overtaken by Nick Goepper from the USA.

Earlier in the week, 33-year-old British snowboarder Jenny Jones had her first podium finish in a World Cup – a silver in slopestyle despite heavy fog. She scored 87 points to finish behind American Jamie Anderson’s 97.45

Pat Sharples, head coach of the GBFreeski team said New Zealand had been a “great start” for the season, with the British team putting in “solid” performances.

“I am delighted with Woodsy’s silver which followed on nicely from Jenny Jones’ second place,” he said. “I am also stoked to have one of my young up and coming girls Anna Vincenti make the finals in her first ever World Cup, and the future is looking bright for Tyler Harding who at just 16 is showing he could well be the next big thing.”

And aiming for the Sochi 2014 Paralympics, Heather Mills, ex-wife of Paul McCartney, took silver in the Alpine Adaptive Slalom World Cup in Queenstown. The 45-year-old former model lost a leg in a motorbike accident during the 1990s and is currently ranked number 28 in the world.