Barwood defends NZ slalom title as Hudson wins for women

Piera Hudson at the 2014 NZ National Championships slalom. Antony Hansen/Wanaka TV

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand – The New Zealand Alpine National Slalom Championships were held at Coronet Peak Tuesday. Olympian Adam Barwood (Queenstown) was looking to defend the national title which he has held since 2012. In the women’s field, Piera Hudson (Hawke’s Bay/ Wanaka) was aiming to claim her second national championship title for the season having taken claimed the giant slalom one on Sunday.

The slalom course was set on the Outwide run with racers, including an international field of 70 men and 25 women, enjoying cold, clear conditions perfect for racing.

Battling a shoulder injury sustained in a fall during the previous day’s Coronet Cup GS, Hudson’s first run time of 50.14 put her in to ninth place overall. While not entirely happy with her performance, she was relieved to be sitting in top place amongst the New Zealand women.

Racing at the FIS level for the first year this year, Elizabeth Reid (Invercargill) came into the  event with a clear goal in mind: to take second place amongst the New Zealand women and earn her national podium spot. By the end of her first run, she was on track to achieve the goal, sitting just behind Hudson with a time of 50.63 and in 10^th overall.

Cantabrian Eliza Grigg’s time of 51.03s put her third on national rankings after the first run.

Norwegian racer Julie Mohagen posted the fastest overall time for the first run in 47.63. Of the 25 female racers, nine failed to finish the first run.

Hudson was the last of the NZ women to take the course in the second run and just snatched the national championship title with her overall time of 1:39.48, Reid just behind her in 1:39.60. Grigg took third spot for the NZ women with a time of 1:40.25.

“I’m really relived and of course happy to take the title,” said Hudson. “I’m a bit disappointed with the way I skied though. I try to focus more on my skiing and not the overall outcome but today I let it all get to me and it showed in my skiing.”

On overall rankings Hudson placed ninth, Reid 10^th, Grigg 12^th. The international podium spots went to Norway’s Mohagen (1:34.42), the University of Denver’s Kristine Haugen (1:34.81), and Russian Ksenia Alopina (1:34.85).

Barwood, who achieved a personal best result earlier this year when he placed 25th in the slalom at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, was the second racer to take to the course in the men’s race. His first run time of 47.21 put him into 10^th position overall and first place amongst the NZ field.

Nick Prebble (Christchurch) posted a time of 49.16 to place second in national rankings and 21st overall, while Willis Feasey (Twizel), who claimed the national giant slalom title on Sunday, posted a time of 50.29 for 28^th overall.

American Brothers Robby and Tim Kelley were the fastest racers on course in run one, sitting neck-and-neck on 45.77 (Tim) and 45.78 (Robby).

Feasey was the first of the NZ men to start his second run. All looked to be going smoothly until three quarters of the way down when a mistake led to a missed gate followed by a hike back up the hill. Successfully through the gate, Feasey finished his run in 1:46.79. Prebble followed with a time of 1:44.32.

Barwood put together a convincing second run, finishing in a time of 1:38.32 to claim the national title with Prebble second and Feasey third.

“It was a solid run and I’m really happy to win the national title,” commented Adam.

The U.S. Ski Team’s slalom ace Nolan Kasper rallied from outside podium placing in the first run to win the overall by 0.04. Robby Kelley held on for second (1:35.57) and the U.S. Ski Team’s A.J. Ginnis (1:35.69) finished third as first-run winner Tim Kelley fell to fourth.

RESULTS

Women’s New Zealand National Championships slalom – Aug. 19. 2014

Men’s New Zealand National Championships slalom – Aug. 19, 2014

Release courtesy of Snow Sports NZ