Where to Ski And Snowboard - Chemmy skis out in style

Chemmy skis out in style

5th April 2014, by Abi Butcher

Chemmy Alcott skied her last ever competitive race this week in Méribel — wearing traditional Austrian dress

Four-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott skied her last ever competitive race this week in Méribel — wearing traditional Austrian dress.

Alcott was racing at Delancey British National Alpine Championships where, over the course of the past week, she and fiancé Dougie Crawford claimed two titles apiece — downhill and super G

In her final race, Thursday’s super combined, Alcott skied through the slalom gates with “That’s All Folks” written on her race helmet.

In an emotional speech at the finish line, she said: “It hasn’t quite sunk in yet that this is my last ever ski race. When I was in the start gate 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.”

She added: “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”

Alcott will now retire from world-class ski racing but still plans to stay in the world of snowsports, saying she is keen to do 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,” she said, adding: 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 seven times. Recently Chemmy finished 19th in the Women’s Downhill and 23rd in the Super G at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.