British Ski and Snowboard athletes finished with six top ten results at Sochi 2014 including Jenny Jones’ Olympic Bronze medal in Snowboard Slopestyle, plus five more athletes finished in the top 20 and another three in the top 30. Snowsports in the UK is in one of its strongest ever positions and with athletes in the Park and Pipe disciplines, which include Ski and Snowboard Slopestyle and Halfpipe, able to demonstrate credible medal potential, this funding announcement from UK Sport is welcomed.  

Previously British Ski and Snowboard received funding of £1.51 million from January 2012 which runs until the end of September 2014. This latest UK Sport funding award covering the next four years is a remarkable success for a governing body that was only set up just over four years ago and for nearly two years received no direct funding from UK Sport.  

Dave Edwards, Chief Executive of British Ski and Snowboard said: “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. The funding will also allow us to plan the next four years for all British elite snowsports athletes with a greater degree of certainty and allow more of the sponsorship and donations that we raise to be targeted across all disciplines.  It really is the most vital component of our survival and future success.

“Receiving this level of funding from UK Sport is testament to how far we have come as a governing body since the demise of Snowsport GB in 2010. Not only have we achieved six top 10 finishes at an Olympic Games including a bronze medal, but we have implemented professional operating systems and we are currently in a robust financial position. We would not be in this position without the support of key stakeholders such as UK Sport, the National Lottery and of course our sponsors, most notably our headline sponsor Delancey. 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.”

UK Sport funding is based around athletes who are identified as having the ability to ‘Podium’ or are deemed to have ‘Podium Potential’.  This applies to athletes in the Park and Pipe programme.