Small makes successful return to World Cup competition

Australia’s leading female alpine skier Greta Small has made a successful return to World Cup competition over the weekend after a long injury layoff.

Small lined up in two Downhill events, as well as a Super G at the Lake Louise World Cup in Canada, successfully completing all six of her runs.

There were plenty of positives for Small, with the 22-year-old making a strong improvement from her first Downhill event to her second.

In the opener she claimed 50th, 6.15 seconds off the pace of first placed Cornelia Huetter, before improving to 43rd in the second event, just 3.01 seconds behind USA gun Mikaela Shiffrin who claimed a rare Downhill victory.

"I'm feeling really good to be racing again," Small said.

"My first Downhill race was really conservative and I was just glad to get the first run down in flat light and fog. 

"The second Downhill I made improvements and skied with mistakes to be +3.01 seconds behind with 10th recorded speed of the day 128.5km/h."

She backed those results up with a 40th place finish in the Super G, coming in 3.99 seconds behind victor Tina Weirather of Liechenstein.

"Today’s Super G had some good and bad skiing, I was 9th through the mid section of the course onto the flats then a massive mistake on Claire’s corner cost me.The course workers did a fabulous job the track was perfect, icy and fast."

The event wasn't without some unforeseen difficulties though. 

"On Saturday there was a big saga after the transformer at the Lake Louise power station caught on fire which shut down all lifts and power to the resort, I was stuck on the chairlift for more than one and a half hours. 

"The Lake Louise World Cup organisers were absolutely incredible to pull off the race with only a one hour delay, all athletes got towed by cats (snow vehicle) to the start."

The Sochi 2014 Olympian has had a tough past 24 months with three injuries ensuring she has limited time competing against the world’s best.

She does however appear to be back on track and pushing for her second Olympic appearance in PyeongChang.

Small will now head to St Mortiz for the second series of World Cup events. 

Fellow Australian and PyeongChang 2018 hopeful Dominic Demschar lined up in two FIS Giant Slalom events at Copper Mountain in Colarado where he finished third and sixth.

Demschar also represented Australia at Sochi 2014 and will be aiming to make the tech events - Giant Slalom and Slalom - for the 2018 Winter Games. 

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au