On 14^th – 18^th February 2019, two students from Loughborough University took part in the Telemark World Junior Championships in Krvavec, Slovenia.

Alec Dixon, (top image), who is studying BEng Aeronautical Engineering and his brother, Colin Dixon, studying MEng Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough University (currently on placement at Aquatronic Group Management), both competed in the multidisciplinary event.

Telemark is the ancestor of modern skiing and was invented in Norway by Sondre Norheim.  The heel of the skier is not attached to the ski, and turns are executed with the trailing heel lifted from the ski.  Telemark is also the only sport named after the region it was created in.

Disciplines:

Classic:

-       Single run

-       Two skating sections

-       Considered the hardest discipline due to the length of course and physical involvement

-       Winning run was in 1 minute and 38 seconds by the Frenchman Noe Claye

-       Top 3: N Claye FRA, T Sillon FRA, L Uber GER

-       Colin Dixon 16^th, Alec Dixon DNF

Parallel Sprint:

-       Tournament knockout format

-       Racers need to qualify within the top 16 athletes to make the final cut

-       Races are between two athletes running side by side on parallel courses

-       The finals start with the top 16 athletes, followed by quarter finals, semis and finals

-       Alec qualified 14^th, Colin just failed to qualify (17th)

-       Alec’s opponent was Christoph Frank (GER), who eventually won the race

-       Top 4: C Frank (GER), A Etievent (FRA), K Lauvik Gjelstad (NO), A Kishu (JP)

Sprint:

-       2 runs

-       1 skating section

-       Most common discipline

-       Winning time was in 1 minute 48 seconds

-       Top 3: T Sillon (FRA), N Claye (FRA), K Lauvik Gjelstad (NO)

-       Colin Dixon: 12^th

-       Alec Dixon, despite falling, finished the race in 16^th

Alex first started skiing at the age of 3.  He trained a lot in alpine skiing and entered many races.

Whilst he was still racing in alpine competitions, his father introduced him to Telemark skiing.  He was 7 years old at the time and finding Telemark boots for small feet was not easy!  When Alex eventually tried the sport, he loved it from the very beginning. Telemark adds an entirely new dimension to alpine snow sports under the form of aestheticism. Not only did he have to be quick, he also needed to have style and elegance.

Alex participated in his first French Cup race at the age of 13, and in the following years, won the French Championships twice (2013 and 2015). The "Comité Départemental Olympic Sportif de l’Ain" awarded him for his performances.

Alec was selected for Team Telemark Great Britain in 2016 and participated in his first World Cups in Austria and France. Telemark World Cup racing took Alex to many countries including; Norway; Slovenia; Germany; and; Switzerland.

His most recent success was winning the French Cup last year (accumulating the most points over the entire French Cup season) and he is the first non-French national male to do so!

Our congratulations go to both Alec and Colin for their achievements both recently and leading up to this year in respect of Telemarking and we wish them both all the best in future events!