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Arrowtown's Malik Boatwright led the charge in another outstanding weekend of results by local riders in the UCI downhill world cup in Europe.
The 17-year-old notched up his third podium of the series with second in the junior men’s final in La Thuile, in the Italian Alps, on a track known as the steepest on the circuit.
Riding in the fifth round for his Wales-based team Continental Atherton, it was a comeback of sorts after he was forced to sit out the previous round due to a leg injury sustained in pre-race practice.
After five rounds, he is ranked fourth in the series after also claiming second places in South Korea and Austria.
Malik is one of three Queenstowners — and 10 Kiwi riders — who qualified for finals in La Thuile.
Jess Blewitt, who will turn 24 tomorrow, was fourth in the elite women’s final, while Indy Deavoll, 17, was seventh in the junior women’s final.
Continental Atherton team manager Tom Lloyd says Malik, who is in his second and final year in the junior ranks, is quickly learning how to deal with competing at the highest level.
"He’s hungry for more and his riding ability speaks for itself."
The former Arrowtown School pupil attended Wakatipu High for two years before becoming a boarder at Christchurch Boys’ High.
He has enrolled in Te Kura this year to complete his Year 13 studies while competing overseas.
The next round of the UCI downhill world cup series is in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, this weekend.
The series moves to Whistler, Canada, in late September, before wrapping up at Lake Placid, New York, in early October.
