Congratulations to Sports Institute Northern Ireland athlete Kelly Gallagher who today claimed a SILVER medal in the Slalom at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in ITALY.
Gallagher who picked up three medals in December’s European Cup races continued her winning streak with a Silver medal, just five seconds behind the Slovakian gold medal winner.
Kelly and her guide Charlotte Evans only started racing together at the start of the season and are already considered a real force in visually impaired Alpine Skiing.
Gallagher, had this to say on her result,
“It is really exciting that all the hard work that I have put in over the summer months at the Sports Institute Northern Ireland is paying off. Charlotte (my guide) and I have only been skiing together for 5 weeks so I am excited about what we can achieve in the future looking ahead to Sochi.
The support team around us has been amazing and the support on the slopes is fantastic, I have been racing in front of my family and supporters today and that means a lot to me.
On Saturday I am competing in the Giant Slalom and I am very excited about it and can’t wait to get back on the slopes again.”
Gallagher 24, from County Down was the first winter Paralympian from Northern Ireland receives specialist support services from the Sports Institute Northern Ireland and receives funding from Sport Northern Ireland.
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Notes to Editors:
Kelly was named to the British Disabled Ski Team in the 2008/09 season.
Visually Impaired ski racers are guided through the alpine courses by a fully sighted guide. Kelly competes in all alpine disciplines: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill and Combined.
Kelly’s guide is Charlotte Evans, Charlotte, an ex-England team ski racer is combining her studies in Sports Science with training and racing with Kelly. The girls have progressed quickly with their skiing and Charlotte has adapted to guiding very quickly and intuitively
The World Championships are taking place in Sestriere, Italy from 15-23 January 2011, over 130 athletes from 23 countries are competing at the venue which was used during the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. The World Championships are the biggest gathering of Paralympic Winter Sport since the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
The 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Sestriere include Downhill, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Super-G, Super Combined and Team events.
