Britain’s most successful skier claims another title in last competition before retirement

After a 23-year career spanning four Winter Olympic Games, Alcott confirmed her retirement earlier this month as she continues to battle the effects of a deliberating leg injury.

She still proved a notch above her domestic rivals in the French Alpine resort as she clocked an impressive 1min 23.91sec in overcast conditions to comfortable defeat second and third place finishes Cara Brown and Honor Clissor.

“I just wanted to come through the finish line with a smile on my face,” Alcott said.

“The last few weeks have been tough with my leg, I am not in my best shape of the year, but I would have been disappointed if I didn’t win.

“It was really, really great to win and on what was a tough course.”

Chemmy Alcott in downhill action during the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi last month ©Getty Images

Alcott followed an impressive youth career with an Olympic debut aged 19 at Salt Lake City 2002 in which she achieved a best result of 14th in the combined event.

Since then she has recorded five top 10 World Cup finishes and an 11th place finish in the downhill at Turin 2006, the best Olympic performance by a British female skier since Felicity Field at Grenoble 1968, before repeating the placing in the combined event four years later in Vancouver.  

Alcott suffered a broken leg last August but battled back to compete at Sochi 2014 and finished a creditable 19th place in the downhill competition.

She announced her retirement on her website afterwards.

“After much deliberation, it is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from ski racing, a sport that has come to define me,” she said.

“However I am not retiring from skiing and believe that I still have much to offer the sport.

“Looking back at my career I am incredibly proud that I have had the guts and mental strength to overcome the odds and compete for my country.

“I look forward to mentoring others and to continuing my charity and television work, particularly in the challenging field of adventure, my future is bright.”

Before then Alcott has several more events to negotiate at the National Championships as she seeks an unprecedented eighth overall title. 

In a good day for Alcott fiance Dougie Crawford, who she plans to marry later this year, won the men’s Super G title after overcoming opposition from Billy Major and Max Baggio. 

The Championships are due continue for another week before coming to an end next Monday (April 7).