VERWOOD skier Niamh Thompson is gunning for even more triumphs at the upcoming English Alpine Championship.

The 12-year-old clocked two top-15 finishes in the minis at last year’s event in Bormio.

Returning this time round in the under-14s section, Thompson has her sights set on more success on the Italian slopes.

The Dumpton School pupil said: “I’ll be doing the two Super-Gs, one giant slalom and one slalom.

“It’s my first year out of the minis, it’s a bit nerve-racking but I’m excited for it.

“I did quite well in the evolution speed races at the Ambition Championships, so I was really pleased with that.”

Beginning on Sunday, the English Alpine Championships are organised by Snowsport England, the national governing body responsible for growing participation through direct funding from Sport England.

They work closely with snow centres, artificial slopes and clubs around the country, as well as managing English squads and athletes across all snow sport disciplines.

As well as short-term success, Thompson’s love of skiing has sparked a desire to compete on the biggest stage of all.

“I really want to try to go to the World Championship and hopefully make the English alpine ski team by 2019,” she added.

*For this winter Olympics season, Snowsport England has launched ‘PyeongChang to Piste’ (www.pyeongchangtopiste.org.uk), featuring events and taster sessions run by various clubs and slopes throughout the country, along with tailored downloadable resources for schools.