Eight Sussex skiers sets for ski championships

Burgess Hill sisters, 18-year-old Sam and 16-year-old Helen Todd-Saunders and Crawley Down siblings Katya, 15, Lucy Bingle-Williams 14, will make up half of the Sussex contingent.

They will be joined by Uckfield’s Piers Washer and Chichester’s Yasmin Cooper, both 16, Oscar McCall, from Stoughton, and Upper Beeding’s Charlie Luke, both 14, to compete in the championships which take place from Saturday to Thursday, February 19, in Bormio, Italy.

All eight are members of the English Alpine Ski Squads.

The championships, organised by National Governing Body Snowsport England, is a key event on the national skiing calendar, and is well-known as a platform for the rising stars of skiing, including the likes of Chemmy Alcott and Dave Ryding who is currently competing on the World Cup circuit.

The championships open with a spectacular opening parade on Saturday afternoon followed by five days of racing across six categories: senior, junior, under-16, under-14, under-12 and under-10. Over 350 athletes will then battle it out for the honours.

Snowsport England chief executive Tim Fawke said: “We are excited about seeing England’s best Alpine skiers in action, particularly with some exceptional talents coming through at all ages. We are also looking forward to the unrivalled atmosphere of the Championships and giving young racers the chance to be part of such a fast past and exciting event.”