Surbiton's Mead means business (From Your Local Guardian)

Surbiton's Mead means business

1:21pm Friday 17th February 2012 in Sport By Stuart Amos

Kingston skier Darcie Mead had to pinch herself after finishing top of her age group in the Super-G race at the English Alpine Championships on Tuesday.

The 15-year-old Team Evolution athlete, who is a regular in the Team GB ski squad, came third overall in a time of one minute, 15.82 seconds at the 16th running of the annual championships at Bormio in Italy.

Mead, among the youngest in the race, finished just over a second behind 22-year-old winner Maria Shkanova of Belarus, but it meant she topped the pile in her age category, much to the surprise of Surbiton High School student.

“I didn’t expect to win or anything,” she said.

“I was just going to ski because I enjoy it, but to win is a bonus.”

Thames Ditton’s Team England skier Alice MacAulay also left the event smiling.

The 17-year-old Sandown Park Ski Club member also picked up a bronze in her age group.