Sauvey fears funding cuts after failing to qualify

From Sportsbeat staff, in Vancouver

 GREAT Britain's Sarah Sauvey admits she fears further funding cuts after failing to make it to the inaugural ski-cross finals on her Winter Olympic debut.

EARLY EXIT: Great Britain's Sarah Sauvey makes an early exit from the inaugural ski cross competition at Cypress Mountain (Getty Images)

The 26-year-old had her heart set on a place in the last 32 at Cypress Mountain but narrowly missed out after coming home 34th during qualifying.

Sauvey was far from her best and clocked a time of 1:24.52 as she was beaten by Russian Yulia Linvinskaya, who lost both her ski poles, and Romania's Ruxandra Nedelcu, who fell in the closing stages and slid across the line.

Sauvey feared she wouldn't board the plane to Canada at all after being frozen out by now defunct national governing body SnowsportGB.

However, her cause was boosted in October when TASS - a government funded programme - gave her their backing but she believes the cash flow may dry up after failing to impress in Vancouver.

"I was hoping to produce a really good result so I could pick up some funding for the next few World Cup races and the next four years," said Sauvey.

"I would like to say yes I will receive a bit more funding when I get back to the UK but because I didn't make the final, but I don't think I will.

"I was trying to make the final for the whole British ski-cross team. we really need some support because we can't really compete with the big nations at the moment.

"We just need that support but I didn't manage to pull it off, so I doubt it will happen now and I am very disappointed."

Sauvey's bid for a place in the final was over before it had barely begun, as she struggled through the opening feature of the 1144m course, which was pitted with jumps and obstacles.

She battled to recover and admitted she was at a loss with her performance, after posting consistently quick times during practice.

"In training I was landing nicely on the course but during my run I was landing on the backside of my skis and I lost a lot of speed," she added.

"I have worked so hard to get here and the six weeks prior to finding out I was on the team were the most stressful time of my life. I was literally pulling my hair out.

"And to do well in training and not be able to transfer that into the competition is just so disappointing."

 

AS IT HAPPENS: Follow day 12 of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver