Lake Wanaka, NZ (15, August 2012) - New Zealand Ski team members had stand out performances at the recent Wanaka Tech FIS Series held at Cardrona and Treble Cone, with a number of personal bests achieved in both the men’s and women’s fields, including sub-30 point results recorded by Nick Prebble (Christchurch) in slalom and Jamie Prebble (Christchurch) and Willis Feasey (Twizel) in giant slalom.
The series attracted an international field, including world class athletes, from USA, France, Slovakia, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, Britain, Austria and Korea.
In the men’s Treble Cone slalom Jamie Prebble, 21, clocked a personal best 29 points to take the bronze medal in a combined time of 1.39.65 and reduce his world slalom ranking. Slovakian Adam Zampa won in 1.37.21 ahead of Seppi Stiegler in 1.38.69. Adam Barwood, 20, (Queenstown) was second placed New Zealander finishing ninth, in the field of 68, in 1.41.33 and Finlay Neeson,19, (Oakura) placed 10th in 1.41.90.
In the Treble Cone giant slalom Nick Prebble, 19, was fastest Kiwi in sixth place recording his best ever result of 26 points in a time of 2.02.82 followed by Feasey, 19, in eighth place also with a personal best 27 point result in 2.02.99. Zampa again took the lead to win gold in 2.00.76.
Jamie Prebble took out third place in the Cardrona men’s slalom skiing below his points with a 33 point result and a combined time of 1.42.94. Zampa stamped his name on the title in 1.39.47 followed by Stiegler on 1.41.99.
Barwood was the next best of the New Zealanders in seventh place in 1.44.29 with Feasey ninth in 1.44.93.
In the women’s slaloms at both Cardrona and Treble Cone Harriet Miller Brown,20, (Queenstown), Emily Wright, 18, (Christchurch) and Piera Hudson,16, (Hawkes Bay) skied consistently to reduce their points and world rankings in both events.
All three achieved their best results in the Treble Cone slalom with Miller-Brown taking fifth place in 1.43.04 and recording a personal best 40 points. Wright was hard on her heels in sixth place in 1.43.50 to clock a best ever 43 point result, followed by Taylor Rapley, 21, (Queenstown) in eighth place in 1.44.38. Hudson skied below her points, recording a personal best 61 points and finishing in 1.46.49 in 11th place.
Charlotte Guest, 17, (Great Britain) won the title in 1.41.72.
In the women’s Cardrona slalom, Miller-Brown was again the top performing Kiwi finishing fourth and skiing below her points to record a 42 point result. She clocked a combined time of 1.52.50 heading off Wright who claimed fifth place in 1.54.29 with a 54 point result. Hudson finished in the top ten in 1.56.25 logging 65 points.
Eighteen-year-old Kathrin Resch (Austria) won the title in 1.51.50 in a closely fought battle with training mate Avril Dunleavy, 20, (USA) in 1.51.56.
Hudson who made her presence felt on the Northern Hemisphere circuit during the summer, put in a blistering first run time of 1.03.78 in the Treble Cone giant slalom to finish just splits behind first run leader and ultimate winner, Stephanie Resch (Austria), 17, who stopped the clock at 1.03.90.
In the second run Resch was out in front to win in a combined time of 2.07.77 ahead of Hudson in 2.09.25 who skied just outside her points. Miller-Brown was second Kiwi in fifth in 2.10.35 while junior, Sophie Corser,16, (Wanaka), had an outstanding 69 point result to finish 10th in 2.12.09.
In the Cardrona giant slalom Hudson and Nick Prebble were on target for a good result with both holding first place respectively after the first run. However the race was abandoned before the second run due to bad weather.
New Zealand FIS athletes are currently competing (August 15-18) at the Japan Southern Cup FIS series at Coronet Peak.
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