Drake gets off to a flyer

ED Drake got his season off to a flying start but insists he is taking things one step at a time as the countdown to Vancouver 2010 gathers pace.

The 22-year-old finished 11^th in the first FIS Europa Cup Super G of the season in Reiteralm, Austria - missing out on the top ten by just five-hundredths-of-a-second.

Drake's previous best finish was 23^rd and such progress makes him a certainty to make the trip to Canada in 2010 with the BOA soon to announce their qualifying criteria.

But Drake, a member of Kandahar Ski Club, refuses to get carried away with February's World Championships next on his agenda.

"I'm looking to confirm my place at the World Championships and that is far ahead as I'm looking," he said. "That is the biggest event for me this season. 

"My goal is to consistently finish in the top 20 in the Europa Cup - it's the best possible start to the season I could have hoped for and it gives me an excellent platform for better results throughout the season.

"But I'm taking it one season at a time so right now I'm not focusing on the Olympics yet."

Also competing in Reiteralm were Dougie Crawford who finished in 59th position ahead of Europa Cup debutants TJ Baldwin, 79th, and Peter Whelan who came in 93rd.

Drake, Crawford, Jan Kochalski and Pam Thorburn now fly out to North America where they will be training and competing in the lead up to Christmas and a return to the Europa Cup circuit in January.