Ski and Snowboard Australia (SSA) has unveiled the Australian team members who will compete at the 2019 World Para-Alpine skiing Championships.
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The games begin January 21 and Australia’s first female athlete to win an IPC World Championship medal in alpine skiing, Melissa Perrine of Welby and Mittagong’s, Sam Tait will compete at the games.
In a first for Para-Alpine skiing, the event will take place across two countries with Italy’s, Sella Nevea to stage the speed events and Kranjska Gora in Slovenia to hold the technical competitions.
Dual bronze medallist from the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, Melissa Perrine will compete alongside her new guide, Bobbi Kelly.
Consisting of five skiers and two sighted guides, the Australian team members will be looking to make their mark after an extended training block in Europe leading up to the major event.
The training conditions have not been favourable, the group members have concentrated on individual preparations, as well as taking part in daily team recaps and video reviews.
SSA Performance Pathway and Program manager, Ben Wordsworth, said the Aussie Para-Alpine team would kick off the seven world championship events to be contested by SSA athletes over the next three months.
“Our Australian team for the World Para-Alpine [skiing Championships] will be the first to compete in seven world championship events that will be held between January and March.
“Australia’s Para-Alpine team has consistently delivered strong performances in the world cup and at the world championships.
“While poor conditions in the northern hemisphere have resulted in many world cups being cancelled, the team members are confident they have training behind them to deliver solid performances at the world championships,” he said.
In the Giant Slalom races held on January 21 for the Para-Alpine World Championships, Tait finished tenth overall.
His next race will be the downhill event on January 29 in Sella Nevea Italy.
He will compete in the Super G event, at Sella Nevea on February 2.
