It has been a week to remember at the Delancey British Children’s Championships for Daisi Daniels, and the Rochdale ski star signed off in style on Friday as she added the Girls’ Overall title to her ever-growing trophy cabinet.
Having clinched victory in Monday’s Under-16 Slalom, Daniels, 14, won a silver medal in the Super G two days later.
She returned to the top of the podium in Friday’s Giant Slalom, however, crossing the line in a combined time of 1:36.88 to finish ahead of Sarah Woodward and Olivia Foster in the standings.
The result saw her awarded the overall title following a series of spell-binding performances on the slopes of Tignes this week, a prize she had been dreaming of since arriving in the French Alps.
“I’m very happy to have won this title. After the first run, I was in second place, and when I came up to the gate for my second, I knew it was my last race of the season, so I had to win,” she said.
“I knew it was my race for the taking. I was really focusing as I watched the other racers leave the gate.
“When I came over the road on the second run, I threw my skis sideways and I thought it was a bit risky, but I managed to pull it through.
“My coach had told me that I might have been able to tuck from the second to last gate, but I knew that was what everyone else would do, so I tucked from the third to last.
“I went for it and I managed to do it somehow, I almost caught an edge, but I managed to stay in and take the title. It’s an amazing feeling.
“I’ve also won the overall title and that means everything to me. I’m in the bottom year of the category so to take that title is extra special.
“I’m so happy with how these Championships have gone. I wasn’t too happy with my performance in the Super G, but it’s something I can work on.
“There are lots of things that I have learned from, I just hope I can carry on this form next season.”
It has been a year of great improvement for Daniels, a pupil at Beech House School, as she continues to make her mark on the British skiing scene.
But, with ambitions of competing at the very top of the sport in the seasons to come, Daniels knows only too well the work she has to put in to see her dreams come to fruition.
“I’ve progressed quite a lot this season. My coach has really helped me and I have been doing some training with the FIS skiers,” she said.
“It has given me a good challenge to ski alongside some really fast guys, it’s amazing to ski with them and hopefully next season I’ll be able to start getting ahead of them and see where I am in the FIS races. There is lots of hard work to do this summer.
“I love doing the British Championships, it is an amazing event. The organisation is great and there are never any issues.
“The people here are so supportive, and it’s the perfect way to end the season.”
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Image courtesy of Racer Ready, with thanks.