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QUEENSTOWN ALPINE SKI TEAM APPOINTS TOP LEVEL COACHES
April 14 2003: The Queenstown Alpine Ski Team has made two key coaching appointments which will take ski racing in the region to a new level.
American Scott Zahn has been appointed Head Coach for the programme and fellow American Brad Saxe is the Intermediate Head Coach.
“Both were selected from an outstanding list of applicants,” says QAST Chairman Rob Greig. “The high calibre of these coaches marks a new and exciting era for QAST.”
QAST has traditionally employed a Programme Director but this year the structure has been altered.
“We will now have a Programme Manager who will be responsible for administration leaving the Head Coach free to work full time on the athletes programme.”
Mr Greig says both Zahn and Saxe are both highly ranked Level 5 coaches and will form the nucleus of a strong coaching structure.
Scott Zahn is currently Head FIS Coach with the National Alpine Training Centre in Canada, set up six years ago.
“Athletes at the Centre compete at regional and Nor-Am FIS level and are consistently ranked in the top 50 in the world and the top five in Canada for their age,” says Mr Greig. “The sort of expertise Scott will bring to QAST based on his work at the Centre and his wide experience as a top level coach in both Canada and the United States will be invaluable.”
Previous appointments include assistant coach roles with the US Ski Team Men’s regional team and the Women’s A team in downhill and Super-G.
Brad Saxe has a similar background and is presently Head Coach of the Jackson Hole Ski Club, a prominent alpine programme in North America.
“He has personally trained three current members of the US Ski team and one former member. He has also been closely associated with the US Men’s Europa Cup technical and speed teams as well as the US Men’s Word Cup speed team, as guest coach, over the last three years.”
Mr Greig says there has been a significant response,from other highly qualified North American and European coaches, for the other QAST coaching positions this season.
“Scott Zahn will make the selection in consultation with the QAST Board and we feel confident the Team will have a fantastic line-up of coaches this year. Several who have worked with QAST in previous seasons have re-applied and we will shortly appoint a Junior Head Coach to oversee the junior end of the programme.”
“To help achieve this we hope to host a number of overseas exchange athletes this season who have low FIS points,” says Mr Greig. “They will be role models for our athletes as well as providing good competition for them in training and racing this season.”
QAST is expecting to field a team of over 80 athletes this year, ranging in age from eight to early 20’s.
“We have many committed skiers who will be returning to train at Coronet Peak with us this winter,” he says. “At least 25 of our athletes have been training and racing overseas this summer and we have been represented at the World Championships, at the World Junior Championships, at under-15 world events in Spain, Italy and Canada and at the World University Games.”
“Some of our junior and senior athletes have posted excellent results including podium finishes at regional European events. It really has been a most successful summer and QAST can feel justifiably proud of its input into the training.”
Mr Greig says the 2003 season for QAST is already shaping up well with positive support being provided by the new owners of nzski.com.
“We have been assured of an excellent allocation of training space on Coronet Peak which underlines the close association the mountain and QAST have developed over the years. Their support will go a long way towards helping us achieve our goals.”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: ROB GREIG 03
4428273 0R 03 4428182
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