Water Skiing - Golden return for Mapple (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Water Skiing - Golden return for Mapple

4:40pm Wednesday 17th September 2008 in Sport By Gazette Sports

ANDY Mapple, the former British world water ski-ing champion, came out of retirement at the age of 46 for a chance reappearance for the Great Britain team at this year's World Seniors Trophy Championships in Spain.

Mapple, whose parents live in Windermere, took two golds and a silver from the disciplines he took part in despite a four-year absence from competitive sport.

He also took part at the European Championships, which followed on immediately at the same venue, and collected another another individual gold and silver.

Andy had been called up to an injury-depleted Great Britain squad and showed his once peerless slalom skills were just as good as ever - and he also successfully took part in a "trick" category, which was new to him at this level.

During the championships, HRH Prince Felipe, the successor to the throne of Spain, a big water ski enthusiast, sought out Mapple, who collected an OBE for his services to the sport and is a legend among aficionados, and spoke to him at length.

But his father Roy, who with his wife Janet watched him compete at the championships at Toledo near Madrid, says there will be no permanent comeback.

He said: "He packed up the sport when he was at the top because he felt he was missing his young family too much and this was just a one-off."

While Roy and Janet live at Windermere in the Lake District, Andy by a strange coincidence moved to live in Win