A big shout out to my teammates from the CHAMONIX Ski Alpinisme Club for their exceptional performances in Tromso. Yann Gachet, our coach, brings home a bronze medal for France and Valentine Fabre qualified for the finals in the sprint and had a strong 5th place finish in the individual. This is the 3rd year our club is in existence. This season we have had 2 medals at the world championships and 2 at the world cup in norway! Bravo!
Voici....un petit article en français de notre club:
Nina Silitch récidive !
Depuis le sprint de Pelvoux, Nina Silitch (USA) n’a qu’une seule idée en tête : prendre sa revanche sur la finale des championnats du monde où elle n’était arrivée « que » seconde. Un an après sa première victoire en coupe du monde, il faut croire que Tromso lui porte bonheur puisque la Chamoniarde s’impose de nouveau devant l’armada suisse : Emilie Gex Fabry et Mireille Richard qui remporte le petit globe de la spécialité. Laetitia Roux rate un peu sa demi-finale et hérite d’un mauvais couloir sur la ligne de départ. Ainsi mal servie, sachant aussi que le départ n’est pas vraiment son fort, la française se retrouve enfermée et en queue de peloton, ses collègues lui font presque une queue de poisson… Laetitia termine 5ème de la finale, juste devant la seconde française de ces finales, Valentine Fabre (6ème) qui réussit une belle demi sans parvenir à concrétiser… Aller, on ne va pas faire la fine bouche, bravo les filles, 2 finalistes c’est déjà une belle performance !
An aside note on skimo racing in the Alps
Just to give a little perspective on the sport of skimo racing as it continues to grow more and more world wide. I am proud to be one of the ISMF athlete representatives for the sport and happy to help it grow as an olympic event one day.
The majority of the medal contending teams such as France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Germany Austria are fully supported with funding for travel & race costs, coaches, massage therapists and more. Our big nation of the USA has none of the above.
Those few North American athletes racing over here pay and book their own travel/ lodging, register and pay for the races, massage… Compex works well. All the little and big details which the coach normally does, the athlete takes care of. Though the sport is growing in North America we have a long way to go before we have a fully supported & funded national team. Being a mom of 2 boys, juggling training, professional & household commitments is never easy but the more you put in, the more you get out of something. We have gained so much, and I am proud to be a small part of helping the sport grow world wide. A big kudos to Canadian national team members Melanie Bernier, Andrew McNabb and Reiner Thoni and USA national team members Janelle Smiley and Stevie Kremer who showed a strong competitive presence in the 2013 World Cup European circuit.