Team GB women's downhill alpine skier Chemmy Alcott has revealed that she was delighted with her practice run in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The 31-year-old, who is competing in her fourth Games, clocked a time of 1:45.89 on an unfamiliar Rosa Khutor course in Russia.
Her time ranked Alcott 36th, but she was only 3.19 seconds slower than the quickest skier, Switzerland's Fabienne Suter, and the Twickenham-born athlete is very pleased with how her training has gone, considering her recent leg operation and the fact that her rivals have previous experience competing in Sochi.
Alcott told reporters: "I am really proud of my performance today. I am much closer to the leader even though I made a mistake on my run. I tried to charge it today and it worked.
"I am one of the few girls racing here today who has not raced this course before. So for the first time for ten years, I am a rookie on a downhill course. The course is fantastic. It is the Olympics, the course has to be special. To throw yourself down an Olympic course five and a half months after surgery makes me proud.
"I just want to go out there and put down a clean run and be satisfied I put myself on the edge. I can't put numbers on it. I am just looking forward to getting out there and pushing myself."
Alcott has been crowned overall Senior British National Skiing Champion five times since 2002.
Joe Fish
