Speedy Stafford skiers slip and slide to a big medal haul
Speedy young skiers from a Stafford school bagged 11 individual medals and a team hat-trick at a national competition in Italy.
Pupils from Stafford Preparatory School competed at the Ski Club of Great Britain championships at the Pila ski resort in the Aosta Valley. The event attracted contestants from the UK and two schools in Italy and Switzerland. Titles in six age groups were up for grabs, and each event included three timed races, with the fastest result counting.
Eight-year-old Martha Mincher-Lockett was the star of the show, capturing three golds. She won the U8 girls’ slalom race in 78.08secs and added a second gold in the GS (Giant Slalom), when she crossed in 52.59secs. Her results put her first in the combined slalom and GS.
And Martha’s brother Ted kept it in the family when he put down 54.67secs in the U12 boys’ slalom to finish second and 41.63secs in the GS to take the third podium slot behind skiers from the British School of Milan. His combined time lifted the 12-year-old into the silver medal position.
George Williams, aged eight, raced to silver medals in the boys’ U8 slalom and GS. He then clinched his third silver in the combined, losing out on the top slot to British School of Milan’s Vittorio Di Stefano.
In the team events, Stafford Prep were awarded the silver team slalom medal for U12 and younger, before adding further team silvers to their haul in the same age category for GS and the combined. Other members of the squad were Patrick Iliescu, Jack Williams and Emily Gomes Canelhas.
