British Olympic Association confirms GB Snowsport athletes selected for Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games

21 GB Snowsport selected to compete for Team GB at Beijing Olympic Winter Games

The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced the 18 skiers and three snowboarders selected to represent Team GB at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

GB Snowsport athletes will represent the nation in nine disciplines during the Games, with nine athletes selected for Team GB for the first time.

For the remaining twelve squad members, Beijing will mark a return to the Olympic Winter Games, with Alpine skier, Dave Ryding, and Nordic skiers Andrew Musgrave and Andrew Young each set to appear in their fourth Olympic Winter Games.

Reigning Snowboard Cross World Champion, Charlotte Bankes, and Sochi 2014 silver medallist, Gus Kenworthy, will each be competing in their third Olympic Winter Games, but their first for Team GB, Bankes having represented France in 2014 and 2018, and Kenworthy the USA.

The athletes head to Beijing in excellent form, with promising early season results across all disciplines and, in Bankes, a reigning World Champion and current World Cup points leader in Snowboard Cross.

The 11 male and 10 female athletes selected will be looking to build on Britain’s recent successes in international ski and snowboard competition, which includes five FIS, Europa Cup and World Cup podium positions from this season alone.

GB Snowsport Olympic Team Manager, Sophie Morrison, said:

“Today’s squad announcement is an exciting moment for everybody connected to GB Snowsport, for each athlete selected, their friends and families, and for the country as a whole. This was the most competitive selection process that a British skiing and snowboarding team has ever undergone, and every athlete selected richly deserves their place on the team. This is also an important moment to acknowledge the incredible efforts of those athletes who missed out on selection, but whose performances on snow and in training have helped push all of us to raise our game in readiness for Beijing.”

Vicky Gosling, GB Snowsport Chief Executive, also paid tribute to the selected athletes, saying:

“Whatever the outcome in the coming weeks, this is an incredibly exciting squad, and every athlete selected deserves huge congratulations for their efforts to reach this point. We are enormously grateful to UK Sport, the National Lottery, the British Olympic Association, and all our supporters and partners for their backing over the past few years and for helping us prepare such a richly talented squad for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the work of all our coaches, physios, sport scientists, technicians, support and admin staff, and every other team member who has helped prepare the team for the Olympic Winter Games. The strength of this squad is a testament to all the hard work which has gone on behind the scenes over the past four years.”

GB Snowsport Head Coach, Pat Sharples, added:

“I’m so proud of every single athlete who’s been selected for the Olympic Winter Games squad today. Behind every name on this list is a huge amount of hard work, determination, and commitment, and every single squad member really deserves their place.

“It’s true, though, that the hard work is only just beginning. The next few weeks are going to be a huge challenge, but we back every athlete on this squad to do themselves and their country proud in Beijing.”

Georgie Harland, Team GB Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Chef de Mission, said:

“With just two weeks to go until the Beijing 2022 Olympic Ceremony I am delighted to welcome the 21 ski and snowboard athletes selected today to Team GB, for our final sport team announcement.

It is great to see representation across more disciplines than we have taken to a Games before and equally fantastic mix of both youth and experience as we welcome nine Olympic debutants to the team.

The squad has proved themselves to be extremely competitive on the world stage over the past few seasons and I look forward to seeing them perform on the Olympic stage in just a couple weeks’ time.”

Dave Ryding, Alpine World Cup squad member and three-time Olympian, said:

“It’s such a huge honour to be named as part of Team GB again, and I can’t wait to get out there and get racing. As athletes, we take all our competitions seriously, but there’s something undeniably special about representing the country at an Olympic Games.

“This is a really exciting time for British skiing and snowboarding, and like the whole squad I’m looking forward to giving my all in Beijing.”