GB’s Kathryn Thomson (Nottingham) today won Team GB’s first medal of the 2013 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival (EYOWF) competition in Braşov, Romania when she won silver in the junior ladies’ 500m short track speed skating competition.
Seventeen year old Thomson, who trains with World Cup Champion Elise Christie secured Team GB’s first medal in short track speed skating at an EYOWF in over 15 years.
“This is a fantastic feeling, to be the first medallist for Team GB is great and I’m very proud,” she said "I was quite nervous before the final, this was my first major final abroad but I had a good lane draw so I wanted to just get off the start and settle into the race. I managed to do that and I'm pleased with my performance throughout the whole day. The medal ceremony was really exciting, it was all very official and I felt very special so I'm delighted with how it went.”
Teammates Mari Deland (Nottingham), Aydin Djemal (Epsom) and Jack Burrows (Nottingham) also competed in the 500m. Burrows narrowly missed out of a place in the quarter finals finishing third in his heat, whilst Deland and Djemal were both knocked out in their respective quarter finals.
Inspired by Thomson’s silver medal race the GB quartet were back on the ice for the 3000m mixed relay semi final. Unfortunately, a penalty for an incorrect changeover meant that they do not progress through to tomorrow's final.
The first event of the alpine skiing competition began today when GB’s Darcie Mead (Kingston-Upon Thames) took to the slopes of Poiana Braşov in the girl’s giant slalom competition. Mead who was aiming for a top thirty finish in today’s race skied superbly to place 28th.
Mead said: “Today’s race was ok, it could have been better in places but this has been a completely different experience to FIS races I have been to before, so I am happy with how I have raced today. I came here to get a top 30 finish in the giant slalom and I have achieved that. I feel confident for slalom on Wednesday, it’s usually my weaker event but I have been skiing it well before coming out to Romania so I feel happy going into that race.”
Cross country skiers Sarah Hale and James Clugnet were also in action today competing in the girls and boys individual free technique. Hale took to the track first completing her three 2.5km laps in a time of 24:50.4 which saw her place 49th.
The race didn’t go as I had planned,” she said. “I got really very tired. I was a bit tense before the race and then when I got tired during the race I just couldn’t keep up my technique. So feeling like this is a good experience as I can learn from it and improve. This racing environment is different to back home, so I can learn quite a lot.”
The challenging four 2.5km laps for the boys in their individual free technique race saw Clugnet finish in 65th.
Photo Credit: MATEI BUTA