Clapham ski sensation Ophelia Korpanec Davies showed off her skills as she picked up a bronze medal in the under-10s pro slalom GB Alpine Minis Race.
The nine-year-old set a time of 33.58 seconds in challenging conditions on the slopes of Tignes for the event, which is part of the 2019 GB Alpine Championships.
She did her club Mountain Masters proud as she secured her spot on the podium.
“It makes me happy to be on the podium,” Korpanec Davies said.
“I did quite well and it was quite hard to race because of the ruts in the course but I just tried my hardest.
“It’s really cool to get a chance to race here and also really fun. Skiing is just really fun and racing means you get a chance to enjoy it.
“It feels really good and makes me happy to be one the people racing here. When I found out I was on the podium it made me really happy.”
The children’s championship runs in Tignes from April 8 to 12, with more than 300 competitors taking part across 12 different disciplines and age groups.
It follows a week of exhilarating action for the GB Delancey Alpine Championships, where some of the country’s best senior skiers take to the French slopes to battle it out in for a host of silverware.
The event is a breeding ground for the next generation of British alpine talent, as the UK aims to become one of the top five Olympic ski and snowboarding nations by 2030.
And Korpanec Davies is a shining example of the potential stars of the future.
Her father Simon Davies added: “I’m very proud of her. It can be quite frightening to watch such little children gun it down the hill so hard when they are racing.
“She skis regularly but she’s also an edge of national-ranking level tennis player.
“We thought for slalom she would have a decent chance of a good run.
“The conditions favoured her because it was very icy and rutted but she’s got good balance so was able to do well.”
Follow all the action from the 2019 GB Alpine Championships by visiting www.gbsnowsport.com, following @gbsnowsport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and using the hashtag #GBAlpineChamps.
