Local ski racing superstar Alice Robinson (Queenstown, 22) has been crowned the New Zealand Giant Slalom National Champion for the second year running at today's race held at Coronet Peak, New Zealand's home of Alpine Ski Racing.
Robinson explained, “It’s good to be able to race here [at Coronet Peak] and take the National Champs title, it’s always really special and a nice way to start my season off. It’s great to be able to compete at home and it’s great for the younger kids to be able to watch a race like this in person too.”
With 15 nations represented in the women’s field and ten Kiwi women competing, today’s race was hotly contended. There were numerous sets of results awarded from the race, including the overall FIS race podium and the NZ Giant Slalom National Championship title.
The Giant Slalom course differed slightly from previous years, with the athletes starting at the top of the Coronet Express on the M1, before taking a big left hand bend and rolling over into the formidable Hurdle, widely recognised as one of the steepest GS slopes in the Southern Hemisphere.
Robinson, in bib 11, attacked the challenging course and lead run one by -0.67 seconds. As the fastest first run athlete, Robinson was the final athlete to push out the start for run two. She made quick work of solidifying her lead and took the win today by -1.42 in the overall FIS race and -1.43 in the NZ Giant Slalom National Championships race.
Piera Hudson (Hawkes Bay, 28) had an excellent race today and notably a blistering second run, finishing in third place overall, just one hundredth of a second behind second place finisher Janine Maechler of Switzerland. Hudson’s result also secured her a second place finish in the NZ Giant Slalom National Championships.
Ruby Fullerton (Nelson, 18) rounded out the New Zealand Giant Slalom National Championship women’s podium in third, a fantastic achievement for the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games athlete.
Due to weather delays at the start of the programme today, the men’s NZ Giant Slalom National Championship race will now take place tomorrow, Friday 16 August.
