NSW XC Nth Campaign Report #3 2001 to 2002, 14 December
Improving results for Camille... other NSW skiers race their 1st race this weekend
This is the third report for the 2001 to 2002 Northern campaign for NSW's top cross country ski athletes. Camille Melvey has now raced 8 races since being in Europe, and Chris Darlington and Ben Sim have been on snow preparing for their first races.
If you wish to wish any of the athletes luck see their links below, similarly if you would like to support any of the NSWIS, Team or individual sponsors please contact them using the links below. If you did not receive that first 2 reports please contact Tim Greville and he can forward it to you.
CAMILLE MELVEY'S OLYMPIC GAMES SELECTION CAMPAIGN
Camille has showed continued improvement towards her goals since the lastreport:
Saturday 1st December 2001, 7.5km Classical, Idre, Sweden, For Full results click here. FIS points 134.37:
* 1st Anna-Carin Ollofsson, Sweden , 24:15
* 16th Camille Melvey, Australia, 27:30, 13.4%
Sunday 2nd December 2001, 7.5km Skate, Idre, Sweden For full results click here. FIS points157.8:
* 1st Anna-Carin Olofsson, Sweden, 20:47
* 17th Camille Melvey, Australia, 24:15, 16.73%
Saturday 8th December 2001, 5km Skate, Ulrichen, Switzerland, For full results click here. FIS points to be confirmed: 136.23:
* 1st Brigitte Albrecht Loretan, Switzerland , 13:09.0
* 28th Camille Melvey, Australia, 15:11.3, 15.5%
Sunday 9th December 2001, 10km Skate, Ulrichen, Switzerland, For full results click here. FIS points to be confirmed: 157.8:
* 1st Irina Skladneva, Russia, 26:28.0
* 23rd Camille Melvey, Australia, 31.49.0, 20.21%
With four more races under her belt Camille has continued to improve. Several races have had to be re-located due to poor snow cover, this had resulted in more travel and changes in the distance and style of races. Time is now getting short for Camille to achieve her first main goal of the campaign, World Cup selection. The next few races in Austria and Switzerland are Camilles last chances. Camille needs to lower her best FIS point score to below 75. This is certainly getting out of reach with only two events to go. World Cup and then Olympic selection were always considered to be a big asks, as Camille appreciated (see report 1). Having stated the fact again, it should not go without saying that with Camille anything is possible. Please send your well wishes (use e-mails below) to Camille on her final push for selection.
NSW TEAM CAMPAIGN
With several weeks of solid training on snow behind them now the team are still fit and healthy. The team started their trip in Obertilliach, Austria but moved on from there after only a few days as the snow was limited.
Their next location, Ramsau, Austria, had 160km of snow covered track waiting to be used, they moved on there on the 6th December and have been training there ever since. The cover there has been rapidly increasing with heavy falls and a constant cover of deep dry snow.
The athletes, Ben and Chris have been preparing for their first races this coming weekend, it is not yet clear however whether they will be given starts in the continental cup. This continental cup will be trialing a new format. The race will incorporate both and classic techniques in the same race. The first lap will be classical and the second skate, the athletes must change skis, boots and poles. Due to the novelty of this race organisers are concerned about keeping start fields down. The following day is a team sprint relay.
Following these events, more training in Ramsau before heading via Vienna (to pick up juniors Jake Roarty and Ewan Watson) to Slovakia.
ATHLETES ON DRY GROUND
Collen Blake will shortly head to Austria to train and study as part of a self arranged exchange. The time Colleen spends on snow will prove greatly beneficial, we can look forward to great results from Colleen upon her return. Other athletes Mathew O'Rourke and Keiran Step are settling into their summer training.
Tim Greville
Jindabyne Winter Sports Academy
Cross Country Ski
Development Officer
Programs co-ordinator
CONTACT
* Tel: 02 64562242
* Mob: 0417 263836
* Fax: 02 64562917
* e-mail: tgreville@dsr.nsw.gov.au
* Post: PO Box 514 Jindabyne NSW 2627