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21st January 2010

Crested Butte, Colorado  - Queenstown teenager Taylor Rapley (18) has won gold in two national junior slalom races at Crested Butte in Colorado USA, with clear wins in both events, to reduce her overall world slalom ranking.
 
Rapley, who is a member of the Queenstown Alpine Ski Team (QAST), is training at Vail in Colorado, under former US Ski Team member Dan Stripp, the Vail Ski Clubs Head Womens Ability Coach.
 
At Crested Butte she won the Millinium Bank Cup (January 16 and 17) and overall title after taking out the first national junior race, in a combined time of 1.20.82 ahead of Mary Sackbauer (USA) 1.21.78 clocking a 56 point result, her best slalom result to date.
 
In the second race she finished in 1.26.87 beating Celine Guilmineau (USA) in 1.27.13 and Sarah Williams (USA) in 1.27.70. skiing below her current FIS points to record a 66 point result.
 
Rapley was pleased with her performance which reflects the demanding slalom training she has been undergoing since arriving in Vail late last year. She pays tribute to her success to Dan Stripp who has previously worked with US Ski Teams Womens World Cup squad.

Rapley, who is training in Vail with fellow QAST member Charlotte Newbold, will participate in an intensive race schedule taking in FIS races, and potentially Nor-Am races, before returning to New Zealand in April.