GB Snowsport

GB Snowsport CEO, Vicky Gosling, looks ahead to Milan-Cortina with six months to go until the Olympic opening ceremony

Six weeks ago, or so, the clocks changed in the office.

No, not a much-delayed switch to British Summer Time; the Team GB and ParalympicsGB offices, that GB Snowsport is based out of, switched their Olympic and Paralympic countdown clocks over to Milan-Cortina time. In a very tangible sense, the countdown was on.

And today, the countdown hits a major milestone: six months until the opening ceremony of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Six months to go isn’t one of the big milestones that draws major attention. It’s not the ‘year to go’ moment that starts to see public attention bubbling away at a low simmer. And it’s not the ‘hundred days to go’ that turns the excitement dial up to ‘overdrive’. But it’s a meaningful one for us, as a sport, because it falls at probably the most interesting moment in the long, four-year build-up to the Games. It’s right there, on the horizon, but still far enough away that we’ve got things got moments to meet before we arrive.

Right now, for all our Olympic disciplines – and our Paralympic disciplines too, although their six-month moment comes in early September – we’re right in the middle of pre-season training. Athletes (and coaches and staff) have mostly had a post-season break, selections have been done, testing has been completed, and we’re now getting the bulk of training miles into legs, working to put every member of the team in the best possible position for success this year. To that end, in the past month alone, we’ve had Alpine athletes on snow in Europe and in Argentina, Freeskiers and Snowboarders on air bags in Austria and Japan, Moguls athletes on water ramps in Europe, the Snowboard Cross team on bikes in Italy, and a whole programme of earlier springtime activity in Les Deux Alpes.

Away from the slopes – dry, water, and snow – the business has been working hard to create the conditions for success. We know that the investment of time that we make now in our central operations is critical when the season gets underway in the early part of the winter, and the work we’re doing on commercial partnerships, sport science preparation, logistics planning, and pre-season preparations are designed specifically to give our teams the support they need when the season comes around.

So, with the clock ticking onwards towards Milan, six months to go acts as an important marker for us. A chance to assess where we stand, make final adjustments, and prepare for what promises to be an intense and thrilling season ahead. Before the Olympics, and then the Paralympics, we have dozens of World Cup competitions, and new opportunities to write iconic moments into this history of British snowsport. We have the chance to open up more spots at the Games next year. And we have the chance to show, again, that Britain has become one of the most compelling stories in world class snowsport.

Six months from now, there won’t be time to look back. We’ll be fully focussed on the task at hand, and working to ensure the athletes that travel to Milan-Cortina are able to return with success under their belts. But in the years to come, when there’ll hopefully have been more success to reflect on, we’ll know the work we put in now played its part in another chapter of British achievements on snow.

For now, then, we look forward with excitement. But only for a moment. There’s work to do, and we won’t let anything take our eyes off the prize.

Longstanding member of snowsport community passed away last week

Everyone at GB Snowsport is deeply saddened to hear the news of Claire Penell’s passing last week.

Claire was a much loved member of the British snowsport community, a member of Snowsport England’s Senior Leadership team, and a highly regarded colleague, supporter, and advocate for British skiing and snowboarding.

Many within the GB Snowsport family knew Claire for many years and her loss will be greatly felt across our community.

Everyone at GB Snowsport’s thoughts are with Claire’s family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult moment.

Our commitment to supporting young snowsport athletes to compete clean

UK Anti-Doping’s Clean Sport Week campaign focuses this year on the importance of protecting and empowering young athletes to compete clean at every stage of their career.

For GB Snowsport, our commitment to anti-doping and clean sport principles is absolute. We are proud in our belief that all athletes have the right to compete in sport knowing that they, and their competitors, are clean and competing fairly and on a level playing field. We also know that the integrity of our sport stands and falls on a shared dedication to clean sport.

In order to prepare and protect athletes at every stage of their career to safeguard themselves and their sport on the world stage, we are proud to invest significant amounts of time and expertise in delivering anti-doping training and education activities to athletes and support staff across all of our disciplines and squads. Ensuring young athletes, in particular, are aware of their obligations and responsibilities in competing clean isn’t just a good investment in our teams; it’s an important commitment to a generation of athletes who will shape the sport for years to come.

In a year in which anti-doping has continued to make headlines across various sports, we and our athletes and support staff recognise that proactively managing and commiting to clean sport is vital to our sport, our team, and to the futures of every athlete representing Britain on the world stage.

With less than a year to go until the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, we are determined to continue supporting the nation’s skiers and snowboarders to compete clean and to do so with pride and determination, not just for now, but for all future generations of snowsport athletes.

Find out more about UK Anti-Doping’s Clean Sport Week 2025 campaign here: https://www.ukad.org.uk/clean-sport-week

We’ve teamed up with the award-winning podcast to share athlete stories ahead of Milan-Cortina 26

GB Snowsport has joined forces with award-winning podcast producers, Anything But Footy, to deliver a special season of content dedicated to telling the stories of GBS athletes aiming to qualify for the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Across five episodes, presenters John Cushing and Michael Weadcock speak to Nina Sparks (Para Snowboard), Joe Davies (Cross-Country), Liam Richards (Freeski Halfpipe), Ollie Hill (Para Snowboard), Maisie Hill (Snowboard Park & PIpe), Charlotte Bankes, Huw Nightingale (both Snowboard Cross), Txema Mazet-Brown (Snowboard Park & Pipe), and Cali Carr (Moguls) to understand their sport, their stories, and their ambitions with less than a year to go until the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The first three episodes are available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and direct from Anything But Footy, with episode four launching on Monday 21 April, followed by a special final episode featuring GBS Head Coach Pat Sharples and Chief Executive Vicky Gosling reflecting on the 2024/25 season, and looking ahead to next season’s Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Episode 1: New Names, First Games? Featuring Joe Davies, Liam Richards, Nina Sparks

Episode 2: Getting Back on the Slopes. Featuring Ollie Hill, Maisie Hill

Episode 3: Teaming Up. Featuring Charlotte Bankes, Huw Nightingale

GB Snowsport team joined by Royal Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to celebrate historic 2024-25 season

The record-breaking achievements of GB Snowsport athletes across the 2024/25 season were celebrated alongside HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, team sponsors, and guests of the Financial Times at post-season reception hosted by Fortnum & Mason last week.

Freeski Halfpipe World Champion Zoe Atkin, Slalom World Cup skier Billy Major, and Para Alpine World Cup skier Menna Fitzpatrick spoke at the event to reflect on another historic season for British skiers and snowboarders, which delivered the most Olympic discipline podiums in a single season by a British snowsport team, alongside World Championships medals in Freeski Halfpipe, Snowboard Cross, and Telemark, and Crystal Globes for Zoe Atkin, Mia Brookes, and Jaz Taylor.

The reception, hosted at Fortnum & Mason’s 3’6 Bar, saw sponsors and supporters of GB Snowsport celebrate the team’s achievements, while  The Duke of Edinburgh paid tribute to the successes and hard work of GB Snowsport’s athletes, coaches, and staff, while calling on attendees to show their support to the team in the build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina next year.

The event was convened to mark the end of the first year of the partnership between GB Snowsport and the Financial Times, and comes on the back of a season which saw British athletes deliver an incredible 46 podiums at the highest levels of international snowsport.

GB Snowsport confirm appointment of Helen Oldfield as Independent Non-Executive Director

We are pleased to confirm the appointment of Helen Oldfield to the GB Snowsport board with immediate effect.

Helen’s appointment will see the board benefit from her more than thirty years’ experience across the law and financial services industries from businesses including Barclays, the Bank of England, and currently BNY where she serves as Managing Director, EMEA General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel.

A qualified Solicitor and a Chartered Company Secretary, Helen will bring to GB Snowsport extensive experiences across complex governance and control architectures, regulatory expertise, legal risk management, and multi-national leadership and management, as well as a keen passion for sport and lifelong learning.

Commenting on her appointment, Helen said:

“Enabling others to experience the joy of snowsport and the thrill of competing at the highest levels is something that I am excited to be part of. I am looking forward to supporting the work of GB Snowsport in developing elite performance pathways. Thank you to the board and the executive leadership team of GB Snowsport for their warm welcome.”

Jason Cobbold, Chair of GB Snowsport, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Helen to the board of GB Snowsport. The Nominations Committee was unanimous in recommending Helen’s appointment, and the skills and expertise she will bring to the board will be of enormous value as we move into perhaps the most important season in recent British snowsport history.

“I and the board look forward to working with Helen in the coming months and years.”

Helen joins the board on an initial four-year term.

UK viewers can enjoy all the action live from St. Moritz/Engadin

Snowsport fans in the UK will have the opportunity to catch all the action from the St. Moritz/Engadin Freestyle World Championships, with Discovery+ and the BBC both providing extensive coverage of the competitions live and on demand.

Featuring Britain’s biggest ever Freestyle World Championships contingent and a host of the best Freestyle athletes in the world, the Championships are underway now, with Kirsty Muir taking Britain’s first Finals qualification spot in the Women’s Freeski Slopestyle.

Discovery+

Discovery+ will be providing their usual comprehensive coverage of the Championships, with competitions from all disciplines available to view via Discovery+ channels for subscribers. Find out more here.

BBC Sport

BBC Sport will be covering all of the following events via iPlayer/BBC Sport website:

Statement from GB Snowsport

Everyone at GB Snowsport is deeply saddened to hear confirmation that Raph Rinaldi, a much-loved member of our physiotherapy team, has been declared dead having been missing since 2022.

Raph was an integral part of our Paralympic team for a number of years, and was well loved and deeply admired by many of our athletes, coaches, staff, and supporters. His contribution to the team was enormous, and his love and passion for sport was clear and deeply held. Everyone connected with GB Snowsport who knew Raph will have fond memories of his time with us, and his absence is a huge loss for our sport and the wider sporting community.

All of our thoughts are with Raph’s family and friends at this time.

zak Carrick-Smith and Sophie Forth named as Team GB Flag Carriers in Bakuriani

Zak Carrick-Smith (Alpine) and Sophie Forth (Cross-Country) were named yesterday as Team GB Flag Carriers for the Opening Ceremony of the European Youth Olympic Festival in Bakuriani.

Having both represented Team GB previously at least year’s Youth Olympic Winter Games in Gangwon, Zak and Sophie were nominated for the role of Flag Carriers as outstanding ambassadors for their disciplines.

EYOF’s competition events get underway today, with British snowsport athletes set to compete across Alpine, Cross-Country, Freeski, and Freestyle Snowboard events .