Young Wimbledon skiing ace Mathilde Phillips is celebrating after winning the Under-14s giant slalom at the 2019 GB Alpine Championships.
The 13-year-old set a total time 1:46.84 on the slopes in Tignes, finishing above two local girls to top the podium.
And the talented teen was delighted to have finally secured a win at the event.
“It’s been a very good week – I’ve been better and better each day, and I really wanted this first place and got it finally,” Phillips said.
“The first run was kind of good, but I just let go at the last three gates.
“And then the second run I let go a little bit earlier and I did a bit better. It was smoother and it went well for me to finish first.”
The children’s championship runs in Tignes from April 8 to 12, with more than 300 competitors taking part across 12 different disciplines and age groups.
It follows a week of exhilarating action for the GB Delancey Alpine Championships, where some of the country’s best senior skiers take to the French slopes to battle it out in for a host of silverware.
The event is a breeding ground for the next generation of British alpine talent, as the UK aims to become one of the top five Olympic ski and snowboarding nations by 2030.
And Phillips is a shining example of the potential stars of the future, who now lives in Switzerland where she races as much as possible.
It was a double celebration on the French slopes for the teenager, as she finished second in the overall event.
Her giant slalom win, combined with tenth in the Super G and third fastest British racer in the slalom saw her pick up the silver medal.
“I think a prefer slalom but I also love giant slalom,” Phillips added.
“The courses were really good. It’s different, but very fun. It’s nice to compete against other people to see the standard of other countries.
“It’s really fun; you get to do sport in a beautiful place, in the mountains. The week has got better and better… I’m very happy.”
Follow all the action from the 2019 GB Alpine Championships by visiting www.gbsnowsport.com, following @gbsnowsport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and using the hashtag #GBAlpineChamps.
