SKI-ING Crash Robs Nevell Of Combined N.Z. Title

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30213, 19 August 1963, Page 12

SKI-ING Crash Robs Nevell Of Combined N.Z. Title

(From Our Own Reporter) QUEENSTOWN, August 18. A spectacular 50 miles-an-hour crash near the finish of the downhill event today cost the Canterbury champion, G. Nevell (Canterbury Winter Sports Club) his chance of winning the coveted combined title at the New Zealand ski championships, which began at Coronet Peak on Saturday.

Had he finished the course, he would undoubtedly have won the outright championship. having already secured the slalom title the pevious day. NeveU covered the first and most difficult section for She downhill course in great style and beforo his crash, barely 100yds from home on the last hurdle, was being bailed as the new combined champion as he passed. One of his skis whipped round on a small hump and he crashed He was not hurt apart from bruising, but when he attempted to start again he found he had lost a ski binding He slipped the other and stumbled to the finish carrying his skis, collapsing across the line exhausted But bis gallant effort was m vain—he lost some 2m in Of the first nine competitors. Nevell was the only one to complete the course. Conditions for the slalom championship were only fair The snow was slightly damp and much slower than was expected. Quinn Wins Title The eleventh seed. P Quinn (Stratford), who had taken third place in the slalom behind Nevell and the Olympian. W. Hunt (Ruapehu), on Saturday, swept through the downhill course today in Imin 14.6 sec to win by 117 sec from the runnerup, T. Dunlop (Otago). His

win in the downhill and third place in the slalom was enough to give him the combined chaim pionship with a deduction of only 3.2 points Dunlop, who was second, lost 22.22 points. Of the 41 starters in the men’s slalom, only 27 were classifies as finishers. A number of prominent ski racers surprisingly crashed, and many did not finish R H Womersley (North Canterbury). the South Island slalom, downhill and combined champion, crashed on his first run, finishing a disappointinr ninth The New Zealand Olympic representative. R. S A Chaffev (Canterbury Winter Sports) lost control half way down the course and failed to finish Nevell was Canterbury's hen. when he won the slalom chamoionship with two maanificen' runs of ?2 6sec and 77.65ec re spectively His control was superb Last years winner of the event. W Hunt (Ruapehu) finished runner-up barely ’.see behind A good frost had made conditions for the downhill extremely icy and dangerous Originally to start at 11 a m it finally got under wav at 2 pm. and at one stage was in daneer of being postooned Visibility was also very poor ind many competitors were forced ’o «ki b'ind because of a sudden “flat out.” This naturally took its toll, and there were many spectacular crashes Several In lured Womersley. Chuftev J Willis P Willis (Canterbi-v Winter Snorts), and R Owens al' crashed badlv in the earl' stages. Womersley received severe.bruising to his leg. Chaffey’s f'ce was superficially cut T Willis was carded from the ’'■ene suffering from concussion. and Owens received a

gashed face and suspected broken upper jaw Nevell and last year's combined champion. Hunt. both crashed within feet of each other near the last hurdle, and although they ran across the finishing line they were unplaced. Women's Titles Canterbury’s big hope in the women’s championship. Miss K Guy. did not have a happy time, falling in both the slalom and the downhill A former New Zealand champion. Miss P Prain (Southland), took all 'hree titles with brilliant performances tn both the si. lorn ind the downhill Miss Guy’s best performance was in the slalom when she took fourth olace from a field of 11 Results:— Slalom Men.—G Nevell. 72.8. 77.6. 1; W F I Hunt 76. 75.2 P Quinn 723 86 3; P Willis 76 1, 83. 4: K Prain. 8? 8 8’ 8 5; J Willis. 81.6. 88 4 . 6: T Dunton 87 5 . 87 3. 7: B Wigley 85 8 89.3. 8: R Womersley, 92.7 82 8 9- P Parkinson. 83.9. 97 5. 10 Women.—P Prain. 64 4 . 65.3. t; A. Latham. 69.3. 69. 2: E Keane. 69 6. 72.1. 3: K. Guv 69.6. 80 7 4; P Earle. 73.8. 8! 1 5: A. Powell. 79.3. 77.2. 6: P Shiel. 86. 719. 7: S. John. 79 82 6. 8 K Mac Allan. 77 5. 93 9 9; J Mathews 92 7 95.7. 10 Downhill Men—Quinn. 1:14 8. 1- Dunlop 1:25.1. 2; T Buist. 1:30 3 3: Prain. 1 33 4: Wigley. 138 9 5: S Stammers Smith 1:42.3 6: Parkinson. 1:44.3 7 Women. Prain. 1:4.9. 1: Keane I*9 3 2: Latham, 1:15 4 3: E-rle. 1:17.4. 4; Shiel. 1:18 7 5- Mac Allan. 1:24 5. 6; John 1 329 7 Combined Men—Quinn. 32 points lost 1; Dunlop 2’22. 2: Prain. 2731 3: Buist 3911. 4 Women—Prain. 0 points lost. I; Keane. 10 65 2: Latham. 18.43 3: Earle, 28.79, 4.