NSWIS/SSA Alpine skier Craig Branch was keen to continue to build on recent personal best performances at the World Cup event in Val d'Isere, France, over the weekend.

Originally, two events were scheduled to take place at the French resort, a downhill and super combined event.
Unfortunately, the World Cup downhill was cancelled on the Saturday, due to heavy snow that has been falling on the French alps, robbing Branch of an opportunity to press for more points.

The resort received 20cm of fresh snow in the early morning prior to the race, and organisers decided to cancel the classic downhill in order to concentrate on running the super combined scheduled for Sunday.

Branch had finished in the top 30 in the third training run for the downhill, inside three seconds behind the fastest time of US skier Bode Miller.

The weather improved enough for Sunday's super combined event to be held.

In the downhill leg of the evvent, Branch finished 38th in a time of 1 minute 37.73 seconds, 3.85 seconds behind American Bode Miller, who went on to win the event.
In the slalom leg, the 30-year-old Perisher Blue skier failed to finish the Stade Bellevarde course.