British Ski and Snowboard has been awarded £4.89 million by UK Sport over the next 4 years following the success of Team GB at Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. This is fantastic news for the British Ski Industry and Team GB athletes, and will create many possibilities and opportunities during the run up to the next winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in 2018.Team GB at Sochi 2014
Sochi showcased huge exposure for the British ski industry and the world recognised the elite status of Team GB’s athletes. With an Olympic Bronze medal, five more top 10 finishes, a further five top 20 and 3 in the top 30, it was the most successful Winter Games to date for British skiers and snowboarders.
Jenny Jones blew the nation away with her Bronze Medal winning run in the Ladies Snowboard Slopestyle Final and confirmed her place as the Queen of British snowboarding. Jenny won Great Britain’s first ever Olympic Snowboard Medal and became the first ever British female to win an Olympic medal on snow.
Both Jamie Nicholls and Billy Morgan made history by representing Great Britain in the first ever Snowboard Slopestyle Olympic Final and taking the 6th and 10th places. The Top 10 places continued in the Freestyle Skiing where Katie Summerhayes finished in 7th in the Ladies Ski Slopestyle Final. Despite James Wood’s injuries he qualified in 3rd place which made him the first ever British athlete to go through to a Men’s Ski Slopestyle Olympic Final and after tough competition Woodsy came away with 5th position in the finals.
The list doesn’t stop there; Team GB had a fantastic team of skiers and snowboarders participating in many specialities from Snowboard Cross to Cross Country to the Ski Halfpipe.
£4.89 million Funding
Previously British Ski and Snowboarding received funding of £1.51 million from January 2012 to September 2014 so the latest UK Sport funding award is a huge success for British Ski and Snowboarding and the run up to Pyeongchang 2018.
Dave Edwards, Chief Executive of British Ski and Snowboard comments on the Team BSS website ‘the latest funding award from UK Sport comes at one of the most exciting times for snowsports in this country. The level of funding is reflective of the current talent in our Park and Pipe programme and it will allow us as a governing body to maintain world class performance programmes and offer even more support systems for these athletes…We will now continue to move forward and develop athletes who will compete and aim to beat the world’s best over the next four years and in Pyeongchang in 2018.”
By Krystelle
Photo: Jenny Jones | Team BSS