NORTH Vancouver's Ford Swette finished in 31st-place in slalom at the FIS Junior Alpine World Championships held last month in Roccaraso, Italy.
"It was a really awesome experience," the 19-yearold said in an Alpine Canada release. "It wasn't how I expected. It was different than a typical race we might go in. You knew all the best guys in the world were in the start gate, so a bit of a different atmosphere than your average race."
Swette, a B.C. Ski Team member, was also scheduled to race the giant slalom at the championships but was forced to pull out due to a minor injury. Swette was one of a number of young Canadian racers getting their first taste of world championship competition at the event.
"It's been a very challenging championship, but for sure it's a very valuable experience and I'm sure after the dust settles and they have a bit of time to reflect on the whole experience this should definitely help them improve hopefully for the rest of the season and if not for next year," said Jean-Françis Bélisle, head coach of the men's world junior team. "They know now what it is to race against the best juniors in the world. They know where the bar is and they see what has to be done to get there and even though we didn't get those results we were hoping for, for those younger boys, I'm sure that it will serve them in a very positive manner."
