By Jack Miller

Hartley skiing starlet Wanda Brzeska made it a sensational double at the English Alpine Championships on Thursday, adding another podium to her third-place finish from earlier in the week.

The English Alpine Championships, organised by national governing body Snowsport England, help provide an early glimpse of the stars of tomorrow.

And with 400 of the country’s best alpine skiers descending upon the Italian resort last week for the 20th running of the event, Brzeska - who trains at Bromley Ski Centre - had her work cut out for her.

But the eight-year-old proved she is a future star, claiming third place in the under-10s Combined event – replicating her Giant Slalom finish.

“I am really happy that I came third,” she said.

“I didn’t have a very good first run. I span on one of the gates and I don’t really know how. My second run was a lot better and I went a lot quicker.

“It was a really run course – I loved the big jump. I thought I could have perhaps gone faster though and won, but I didn’t this time.”

The English Alpine Championships are an important step for any young skier, with British Olympians Chemmy Alcott and Dave Ryding both having competed at the competition.

Alcott, now retired from racing and coaching her own team, CDC Performance, was taking in the action all week from the sidelines, and she believes she has already seen several stars in the making.

Alcott said: “Being here still brings back so many familiar feelings of wanting to race for me.

“Obviously I was English so these Champs were always such a big deal to me, and it’s great to come back in a different role.

“I think I’d still be racing if it wasn’t for my leg injury so I try to live vicariously through all of these kids now.

“The competition at this English Champs has been absolutely unreal so far. I’ve never seen such great skiing from British athletes of all ages, and I thank God I’m not racing in this age.

“The level is so high that these guys are all having to push themselves. It’s not just about finishing anymore and pushing the boundaries will reap the rewards.

“That’s what British skiing is about now and it is fantastic to see us trying to be the best.”

The English Alpine Championships, organised by Snowsport England, are run every year in the Italian resort of Bormio. Follow the action via www.englishalpinechamps.org.uk or @SnowsportEng on Twitter. Want to get into skiing or snowboarding? Find your nearest slope offering value-for-money GO SKI GO BOARD sessions at www.goskigoboard.org.uk.