We have just got back from a hard week in Landgraaf Holland, which was
for the opening ski race of the year and for race classification.
It has been a great week with 27 Nations all coming to one venue to
race. Our Team (British Disabled Ski Team) came back with an impressive haul of
5 Gold Medals, all for visually impaired skiing. Three in Female and two in
Male. It was a week of highs and lows with learning curves steeper than the
slopes. The First three days (Monday – Wednesday) were focussed on training.
We trained predominately within Slalom gates, whilst also working on key skiing
fundamentals that could be transferred onto the slope. Thursday and Friday were
Race Days.
Before I was allowed to race I had to go through a classification
process by the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) to put me in subclass.
This was on the Wednesday and consisted of a series of tests that looked at my
strength, gait, tone and spasticity of my muscles. The overall test took around
20 minutes and I was told that I qualify for an LW1 Standing class (Strong Leg
impairment affecting both legs) but I also qualify for a sitting class, if I
ever wish to swap to sit skiing. At this moment in time, Standing is the only
thing for me; I love the challenge and love the sense of freedom and movement
that I get from it.
Thursday was the first race day. We were up at 6am and on the slope
for 8 for warm-up and inspection. The
race started at around 9am I was the last man to go for Mans standing. There
was 37 racers on the track before me, so the course got quite cut up. There were
around 33 gates that we had to ski through, down from the usual 50 due to the
size of the venue not having enough room for the usual 50 gates. The start was a drop off a steep roller. The
roller was around 8 to 10 foot, which began with a sheer drop off into a half
pipe style run down to get you onto the course (the first time I have done
this.)
As a person, I am never normally consciously nervous but this time I
was. I felt sick and struggled to relax.
As I was in the queue for the start gate I felt sick and just wanted to
do it….the waiting was the hardest part.
The racers dropped off the starting platform and my number came closer,
I could feel my body tightening up. I
approached the start gate and the time wand was moved across my path (used to
initiate the timer.) I dropped down the roller onto the course and started my
first run. I heard the tannoy calling my name for Great Britain and the
adrenaline hit me. I managed to guide
the skis down the top two thirds of the course and just as I was hitting the
lower third of the course, I lost my balance and wasn’t quick enough to get my
edge to bite and I fell over. Needless to say I wasn’t very happy.
That evening, I sat down with my coach (Euan) and we went through the
video analysis of my run. I wanted to identify the feeling I got from the run with
how I actually ski’d, so I could remedy it in future. Looking at the footage from the first race, I
was tense, broke at the waist and not looking where I was going, everything a
skier shouldn’t be. Needless to say I
was gutted but I knew what I had done wrong and what I needed to do for the
next race.
Friday came and the second race quickly approached. I had a great
warm-up, I felt confident, at ease and was skiing great (the best I felt I have
ever ski’d.) I had good form and was moving on the ski and felt in control. The course inspection went well, the gates
looked good and achievable, besides the big patches of ice.
I walked up to the start gate like the day before, a lot more relaxed
and at ease. The countdown began, I dropped into the course straight onto sheet
ice, unable to get my edge in quick enough from the compression of the roller, losing
a lot of height and hitting a pile of snow, falling over.
Needless to say I was absolutely gutted, I had felt good that day and
was feeling confident for making it down the course. Unfortunately my lack of experience and even
lack of time in gates was my downfall. I did not notice the change in
conditions from the inspection. Even
though I wasn’t happy, I have learnt a lot and there was a lot of experience
and positives to bring out of this.
My ‘attempts’ at these races
just makes me more determined to come back stronger and smash it. I have plans
in place to progress for my next race, which should be Austria in January.
Thanks
Alex
PS
If you would like to contact me please email alexclarke1992@outlook.com
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