Team GB Announce Winter Olympic Snowboarders Team!
The British Olympic Association (BOA) today announced that 19 skiers and snowboarders have been officially selected for Team GB for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
The selected athletes are (full athlete profiles can be found on www.teamgb.com ):
• ZOE GILLINGS (born: Isle of Man, lives: Leeds) (Snowboard Cross)
• BILLY MORGAN (born: Southampton, lives: Southampton) (Snowboard Slopestyle)
• JAMIE NICHOLLS (born: Bradford, lives: Bradford) (Snowboard Slopestyle)
• JENNY JONES (born: Bristol, lives: Bristol) (Snowboard Slopestyle)
• AIMEE FULLER (born: Bromley, lives: Belfast) (Snowboard Slopestyle)
• BEN KILNER (born: Banchory, lives: Banchory) (Snowboard Halfpipe)
• DOM HARINGTON (born: Leeds, lives: London) (Snowboard Halfpipe)
The race to make the standard for Team GB nomination and subsequent selection went down to the wire for the British snowboarders, with Aimee Fuller securing her place on the team with a 5th place at the Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup in Stoneham last weekend.
Sochi 2014 sees the introduction of Ski and Snowboard Slopestyle and Ski Halfpipe into the Winter Olympics, three disciplines where the United Kingdom hope to make an impact. Snowboard Parallel Slalom will also make its debut on the Olympic Programme, but will not feature any Team GB athletes.
Seven snowboarders will take to the slopes for Team GB during Sochi 2014. In the new discipline of Snowboard Slopestyle, Billy Morgan, who came third in the 2013 World Cup finals and second in a 4* World Snowboard Tour event last year will lead the charge. He will be joined by team mate Jamie Nicholls, who has qualified for his first Winter Olympics. For the women, triple X Games winner Jenny Jones will compete in the Snowboard Slopestyle event on 9th February. She is joined by Kent born Aimee Fuller who secured her place on the team after coming 5th in last weekend's Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup in Stoneham, Canada.
In Snowboard Halfpipe, Ben Kilner will go into his second Olympic Winter Games accompanied by team mate Dom Harington. Scottish athlete Kilner placed 18th in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and hopes to better that performance in Sochi. For London based Harington, this will be his first Winter Olympics after being a dominating force alongside Kilner on the British snowboard halfpipe scene for some time.
In Snowboard Cross, Zoe Gillings comes into her third Olympic Winter Games for Team GB. In Turin 2006 she finished 15th and in Vancouver 2010 8th in the Ladies Snowboard Cross event. Gillings will take to the course in Rosa Khutor on Sunday 16th February.
Commented Sochi 2014 Team GB Chef de Mission Mike Hay:
"Team GB hasn't taken a bigger contingent of skiers and snowboarders to an Olympic Winter Games for over two decades – since 1992 – so it is great to now have 19 of them heading out to Sochi with us shortly.
"What makes it even more exciting is the fact that we are going into Sochi with a number of athletes with medal potential in events new to the Olympic Programme. These new events should attract a varied audience and hopeful inspire many more young British people to take to up winter sport."
Said Paddy Mortimer, Team GB Ski and Snowboard Team Leader:
"We are proud of all our coaches, support staff and athletes who have done so well to get to this point.
"We send out a big thank you to our commercial partners, UK Sport and the public for their continued support through the National Lottery. This support has greatly assisted in continuing the fantastic work of our athletes and coaches.
"The athletes that have been selected to Team GB and those that were close, all are a great testament to how skiing and snowboarding is developing at an elite level in this country. We must all now continue our hard work and professionalism and we will see it rewarded."
Ben Kilner said: "I'm absolutely thrilled with the way things have gone this season. After what seems to have been a very quick four years since Vancouver 2010 here I am again. I am absolutely delighted to have made the team again and look forward to putting on a good show for our nation.
"Team GB are sending what I think will be their best and most successful Winter Olympics squad. I am really proud to be a part of it and I will do everything my body is capable of doing to make my country proud."
Zoe Gillings said: "I am delighted to have been selected to compete for my third Olympic Winter Games. I don't think I would have got the results needed in the past two seasons if it wasn't for the British Ski and Snowboard performance director Paddy Mortimer who does everything he can to help the athletes. Now is the time for me to go to Sochi, use the experience I've gained at my two previous Winter Olympics, ride as fast as I can and try to get onto that podium!'"