Skiing: Mickel Faces Downhill Task

The British skier, it was once observed, learns three things - how to put on his skis, how to slide downhill and how to walk along the hospital corridor.

The thought came to mind on the bright, vivid slopes of this French resort yesterday when Finlay Mickel was the solitary Briton among the 70 downhillers practising for the opening FIS World Cup event today.

Mickel, 27, the only regular British competitor on the World Cup tour, is ranked 42 and his efforts to compete with the magnificent Bode Miller and Hermann Maier might suggest Bridget Jones in her latest diary film attempting to keep up with Colin Firth and his pals on the slopes.

But Mickel is better than that. Many experts feel this rangy Scot could make the top 10 and he did nothing to disabuse his followers of the notion yesterday, when he would have finished with the 13th best time but for a small mistake in the middle of the course that pushed him back to 32nd.

"I felt good out there," he said afterwards. "And I feel confident about tomorrow because I have done better here than on any of the other World Cup slopes. The downhill gives me a buzz you don't get with the slalom, which is more controlled and not so fast.

"When conditions are right, when the sun is bright and the snow is smooth, it feels easy and comfortable, like driving a Ferrari on the motorway at 100mph. But then there are the times when it is icy and bumpy and dark and you have to push your way through the fear barrier."

Mickel had a number of difficult times last year. "I failed to get the top 30 ranking I was after but I'm working very well with my coach, Mick Branch, and am skiing better now."

Mickel has been skiing since he was two. "My granddad and dad were keen skiers and as the youngest of three I remember trying to keep up with my big brother. We pushed each other."

Mickel begged his parents to allow him to leave the Green Mountain Valley School in Edinburgh when he was 14 so he could ski full time.

When he did eventually leave it was to work on his father's building site. "I had to pay him back for his car, which I had wrecked," he says, for racing cars was a passion, too.

"When I was first allowed I went to the world juniors, had a go at it and discovered I had this natural ability to run skis. My position and aerodynamics were very good and I was invited to race with the British team.

"In my first training session, when everyone was there apart from Graham Bell, I beat them all by half a second and suddenly got his respect. When I got in the British team in 1995, after two years in the Scotland team, I discovered I had this ability for downhill."

Now, with the responsibilities of a new mortgage and an approaching marriage, not to mention the demands of his sponsors, Mickel feels it is time to unfurl his true ability.

"I think he's in the best position in his life to have a good season," says Konrad Bartelski, who finished second in a World Cup race in 1981 and describes downhill ("man against the mountain") as the skier's ultimate challenge.

"He's worked hard and he's a bit stronger, though I still think he needs some more weight and power. He's now on the verge of the top 30 and I think he will have to put on 15 kilos before he makes the top 10.

"He tried too hard in the last World Cup when he put pressure on himself. Afterwards, he skied very well and won the French championships."

But this is no longer the age of Eddie the Eagle - someone who, it was once observed, jumped to contusions. These days the British skier, and not only Mickel, is worthy of more respect.

"When I competed everyone thought the Brits were having a bit of fun," said Bartelski, who will be commentating on the race for Channel 4 tomorrow morning. "And when I came second everyone said 'what the hell's going on?' But now we're taken seriously. Alain Baxter is very popular, especially in Austria, where he is known as the Highlander. When he gets on the podium everyone knows he's deserved it.

"I'd say the overall standard is greater now than it's ever been. We have a small concentrated team that is well run and motivated and has support from the BOA [British Olympic Association]. There is a lot more science, too, in the training and we're catching up with what the top guys are doing.

"We have a better squad of world athletes in skiing than we do in tennis, and the LTA gets a blank cheque from Wimbledon every year. If we got the interest from the interest of that amount it would improve our budget.

"I wish we had the money to have a junior team but we have to concentrate on a few people and hope that their success will attract more interest."

Nick Fellows, a former British slalom champion who will present the Channel 4 coverage tomorrow, says: "There is more interest in our skiers because they are skiing better. And they have the right back up. It will help if Finlay does the business tomorrow."

Mickel rates his rivals

Hermann Maier (Aus)

'He's just been so dominant over the years and showed great character coming back from that motorcycle crash. He will still be very competitive but he's been switching his boots around and may not dominate as he once did.'

Bode Miller (US)

'He's so talented and gifted in all his disciplines. You never know what he's going to do, which makes him so exciting to watch and so good for the sport.'

Antoine Dénériaz (Fr)

'Overall, the guys to watch are Miller, Maier and Daron Rahlves, but I think Antoine Dénériaz could make a real impact and especially here tomorrow. He's got a couple of wins under his belt and looks really committed, and I like to watch him because we have similar body shapes and techniques.'