BETHANY Widdup has set her sights on taking on the best young skiers in the world after a ‘surprise’ performance at the recent English Junior Alpine Ski Championships.

The 19-year-old from Colne finished in second place overall in her category in the championships which were again held on the slopes of Bormio, Italy.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Now the former Clitheroe Royal Grammar School pupil is hoping to be including in the Great Britain team that take part in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun, Sweden next month.

“I wasn’t expecting to come second in the overall championships, so that was a nice surprise,” said Widdup. “I have skied well in parts this week, but I would have liked to have done better.”

The Championships have been held in Bormio for the last nine years and the week long event attracts skiers from across Europe.

In the National Junior Slalom race, Widdup finished in eighth place overall but was the second English skier.

On her first run, Widdup, who is a member of the Delancey British Ski Team, clocked 52.66secs and then 54.58secs on her second for a combined time of 1min 47.24.

In the giant slalom, Widdup was the third English skier with a combined time of 1min 57.80secs as she finished in 12th place overall. She completed her first run in 59.45secs then bettered it in her second in a time of 58.35secs.

Darcie Mead from Kingston Upon Thames was crowned overall English champion with Widdup joint second with Jess Anderson from Northamptonshire.

“Overall, I would say I am happy,” added Widdup who finished fourth place overall in last year’s championship. “Now I am hoping to be selected for the World Juniors and we should find out next week.

“Apart from that, I just want to try and translate what I have been doing in training into my racing, which I am sure will start to come.”

Widdup certainly worked hard for success in Bormio having been training in South America and Europe.

She spent a five week training block in Chile during the summer and is based in Leogang, Austria in the winter months although she has trained and competed across Europe.

“This year is my first year representing the Delancey British Ski Team, something which I have worked hard towards for a long time,” she said.

“This season my main aim, along with lowering my world ranking, was to be selected to compete in World Junior Championships.”

“As it stands I have currently qualified, however, I have to wait for the selection from British Skiing to come out.”

Widdup started skiing as a five-year-old while on a family holiday.

She joined Ski Rossendale but did not start competing regularly until she was 12 years old when she joined Pendle Race Team. She was a team-mate of Winter Olympian Dave Ryding, who is also from Pendle, and was she trained by his dad Carl before moving out to Austria.

Widdup’s immediate goal is to secure a place at the World Championships and do well at the British Alpine Junior Championships in Tiges, France at the end of the month.

But she will also be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Ryding by competing at Europa Cup and World Cup level before ultimately competing in the Winter Olympics.