Para Alpine team get racing experience at New Zealand National Championships in Cardrona
Published Thu 29 Sep 2022
The Australian Para Alpine team have spent some valuable time on snow, while in camp in Cardrona across the ditch in New Zealand.
The New Zealand National Championships provided the perfect opportunity for our Aussies to gain some valuable on snow training experience, as well as be immersed in a competitive, racing environment again.
It was also the first Para Alpine races to be held in the Southern Hemisphere for three years, and the first under the new governance of FIS.
Paralympians Sam Tait and Josh Hanlon spearheaded the team that travelled to New Zealand, joined by development athlete and fellow sit skier Aimee Fisher, as well as Georgia Gunew and her guide Keiraley O’Connor.
After making his Paralympic debut earlier this year, Hanlon had a stunning return to competition, finishing 1st in the Men’s Sitting at the NZ National Championships.
Tait also impressed in the men’s sitting, finishing 1st in the FIS Para GS race, before going on to finish third and second on the following two days of competition at the NZ National Championships.
"NZ was awesome, it was sick to get back into racing again and having the Kiwi's there made for a great race,” Tait said.
Tait and Hanlon will now head to Europe for the World Cup and World Championships this Northern season.
The tour also offered the opportunity for Aimee Fisher to join the team, and to be internationally classified.
Achieving a third in the FIS Para GS race, as well as the NZ National Championships, Fisher can now compete in international races and be ranked on the world stage.
There are only limited opportunities each year, so it was great that FIS were able to arrange this opportunity in the southern hemisphere.
Georgia Gunew also joined the team for the first time, racing in the Women’s Vision Impaired races with her guide Keiraley O’Connor.
"The trip to New Zealand provided an incredible opportunity to develop the new role with Georgia,” guide O’Connor said.
“I am really looking forward to progressing our skills during the upcoming US training block,” she said.
Fisher, Gunew and O’Connor will head to North America for training and some NorAm competitions.