In memoriam
Everyone at GB Snowsport was saddened to hear of the passing of Susie Berry OBE this week.
A former British international skier and later FIS Technical Delegate and FIS British Delegate, Susie was a familiar presence to many in the British Alpine Skiing scene, and was a staunch backer of British athletes’ ambitions at every level of the sport.
A widely admired and respected figure, not least for her exhaustive knowledge of the technical intricacies of the sport and her dedication as a supporter, volunteer, and advisor, Susie was also highly influential in the development and growth of the British Ski and Snowboard Federation, the predecessor organisation to today’s GB Snowsport.
GB Snowsport extends its warmest wishes and condolences to Susie’s family, friends, and to everyone within the snowsport community who knew her.
We are pleased to note the newly-announced partnership between FIS and the World Meteorological Association
As we have long stated, the impact of manmade climate change on our sports is real, present, and significant, not only in the competition cancellations that we have seen in recent seasons, but also in the profound changes in training opportunities and climactic reliability that our athletes witness day in, day out. There is no issue more critical to the future of snowsport than addressing the impacts of climate change, and we are pleased that FIS’ partnership with the WMA will help to ensure climate change and environmental sustainability remains at the forefront of considerations around the future of snowsport.
We would also urge all partners, including the whole FIS family, to actively and urgently explore ways that we can minimise our own impact on the environment, while using our collective leverage and influence to encourage all parts of society to act responsibly for the good of our sport and our planet.
Responding to news of the partnership, a GBS spokesperson said:
“Not only are the impacts of climate change that we have seen over recent seasons alarming for the sustainability of our sport, but it is important that we see them for what they are: a bellwether for the impacts that climate change is having on the planet.
“We all want a world in which snowsport can continue to thrive in the coming years and decades, and the only way we can secure that is by taking meaningful actions today. FIS and the WMA’s partnership is a welcome step in the right direction, and we will continue adding our voice to efforts to ensure that the snowsport community is acting to protect the sport and the planet.”
GBS x FT partnership sees iconic snowsport achievements promoted across Financial Times print versions
Eagle-eyed snowsport fans and readers of the Financial Times might have spotted the first of a new GB Snowsport advertising campaign in yesterday’s UK edition of the country’s preeminent business newspaper.
Following the announcement of a partnership between GBS and the FT in August, we are delighted to bring the first in a series of four adverts introducing Britain’s successes, heritage, and achievements on the slopes to the paper’s readership. Designed in collaboration with the celebrated brand agency, BMB, the ads feature iconic imagery of British snowsport athletes from Sam Mellish and Jamie Matthews, and will help readers to get a closer understanding of the remarkable victories and longstanding history that Britain has in international skiing and snowboarding.
Ads will continue to appear across the FT between now and early December, with the GBS x FT partnership gaining further exposure through the FT’s presence on GB Snowsport’s Alpine World Cup team’s 2024/25 race suit from the start of the Alpine World Cup season.
Partnership will see Financial Times appear on Alpine and Para-Alpine World Cup race suits throughout 2024/25 season
GB Snowsport are delighted to announce the Financial Times as an official partner to Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic ski and snowboard teams ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The partnership will see the media brand appear on British Alpine and Para Alpine World Cup Squad race suits throughout the season, with GB Snowsport and the Financial Times collaborating on new opportunities to promote the success of Britain’s snowsport athletes to the publication’s worldwide readership.
British snowsport athletes head into the new season with two years’ of historic performances under their belt, with the nation crowning World Champions in Freestyle Snowboard (Mia Brookes), Team Snowboard Cross (Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale) and Para Alpine (Neil Simpson) among almost 100 World Cup, World Championships, and X Games podiums since the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2022.
The partnership seeks to elevate the successes of British skiers and snowboarders and raise the visibility of their achievements to new audiences as the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games qualifying period begins at the start of the 2024/25 season.
Commenting on the partnership, Vicky Gosling OBE, GB Snowsport Chief Executive said:
“We’re so pleased to announce this partnership with the Financial Times. The FT is a brilliant fit for the type of British excellence that our athletes demonstrate week in, week out, and we’re really looking forward to working with the team to help make more people aware of the extent of Britain’s successes on and off the slopes.”
Danny Aldred, Financial Times Commercial Director – Key Accounts & Investment, added:
“We are delighted to be partnering with GB Snowsport at such an exciting time of their growth. The FT continues to publish outstanding coverage of the business of sport, and we believe this to be a growing and engaging market for our subscribers and advertisers. We are proud to be partnering with an organisation at the forefront of promoting British talent to the world.“
Race suits featuring the Financial Times brand will appear for the first time at the Levi Slalom World Cup in November.
Policy sets out criteria for GB Snowsport athletes seeking to qualify for 2026 Olympic Winter Games
GB Snowsport has published its Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games selection policy, setting out the pathway to qualification for British skiers and snowboarders targeting the 2026 Games.
The policy, developed in coordination with the British Olympic Association, comes into effect immediately and outlines the process by which GB Snowsport athletes will be able to secure nomination by GB Snowsport to form part of the Team GB contingent for the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
The full Selection Policy is available for athletes, coaches, and other interested parties to review here.
We look forward to working with Eve Muirhead in the build-up to the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games
Following Team GB’s confirmation that Gold medal winning curler Eve Muirhead OBE will lead the British team into the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games as Chef de Mission, GB Snowsport welcomes Eve’s appointment and looks forward to working with her and the team in the build-up to the 2026 Games.
Having worked closely with Eve at the 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympic Winter Games, which saw Zak Carrick-Smith make history in the Alpine events, we are confident that she will be an outstanding leader at the first European-held Olympic Winter Games since 2014.
Following two record-breaking seasons for British ski and snowboard athletes, we look forward to working alongside Eve and everyone at the British Olympic Association in the build-up to the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games and through a busy Olympic Qualification Period beginning next season.
Myall to take up role with immediate effect ahead of Olympic and Paralympic Qualifying Period
We are pleased to announce that GB Snowsport Head of Sport Science and Medicine, Kearnan Myall, will be our new Performance Director.
Kearnan initially joined GB Snowsport in March 2021 as Human Performance Lead before taking on the Head of Sport Science and Medicine brief in October 2022. His appointment as Performance Director will see him work alongside Pat Sharples, who takes on a joint Head Coach / Technical Director role, in a new Performance Team structure designed to provide GB Snowsport athletes with the best opportunity to succeed as the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games draw closer.
Kearnan, who holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Neuroscience and is currently undertaking a DPhil in Psychiatry from the University of Oxford, spent fifteen years as a professional Rugby Union player for Yorkshire Carnegie, Sale Sharks, and Wasps. He has overseen GB Snowsport’s Sport Sciences and Medicine practices during a period of unprecedented success for GB Snowsport athletes over the past two seasons.
Kearnan said:
“I am delighted and honoured to be stepping into the Performance Director position in the lead up to Milan-Cortina ‘26. We have an incredible team of coaches and staff supporting some of the world’s best Snowsport athletes. I couldn’t be more excited to continue building on the historic success of the last two seasons to position British skiers and snowboarders in the best place to deliver medals at the next Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Vicky Gosling, GB Snowsport Chief Executive, said:
“I’m delighted that Kearnan has agreed to step up to the new Performance Director role. Throughout an exhaustive process, Kearnan has shown himself to be an outstanding candidate as we prepare for a critical period ahead of the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
“Alongside Pat’s new role as Head Coach/Technical Director, I am convinced that we have the right performance leadership structure to give our skiers and snowboarders every chance of success in the coming seasons and to build on the incredible results we’ve seen over the past two years.”
Revisit the highlights of a staggering 2023/24 snowsport season
With Britain’s 2023/24 season finally at an end, it’s time to revisit the highs of a campaign that saw the country’s skiers and snowboarders scale new heights once again.
October 2023
- Mia Brookes takes first British World Cup podium of the season with Bronze at Chur Big Air World Cup
November 2023
- Mia named Sunday Times Young Sportswoman of the Year, becoming the first ever snowboarder to win the coveted accolade
- Pat Sharples recognised with the Coach Award at UK Sport’s 2023 PLx Awards
- Dave Ryding finishes fourth in Gurgl Slalom World Cup, just 0.01s outside of the podium spots, while Billy Major sets a personal best with a 16th place finish
December 2023
- Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale secure Britain’s first World Cup win of the season with Gold at the Les Deux Alpes Team Snowboard Cross World Cup
- Mia Brookes takes double World Cup podiums and confirms Big Air Crystal Globe with Silver in Edmonton and Bronze in copper Mountain
- Kirsty Muir finishes second in Beijing Freeski Big Air World Cup, marking her first ever Big Air World Cup podium before taking Bronze at Copper Mountain World Cup
- Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest bag three Para Alpine World Cup podiums including Gold at the St. Moritz Downhill World Cup and the Steinach Super-G World Cup
- Andrew Musgrave equals Britain’s best ever Cross-Country World Cup result with Silver in Trondheim Skiathlon
- Jaz Taylor secures back-to-back Telemark Sprint World Cup victories in Pinzolo to kickstart record-breaking season
- Zoe Atkin begins World Cup campaign with Bronze at Copper Mountain Freeski Halfpipe World Cup
- Dave Ryding takes seventh career World Cup podium with bronze at Madonna di Campiglio Slalom
- Mia Brookes named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year breaking new ground for British snowsport athletes in the process
- Mateo Jeannesson seals his first Moguls World Cup top-10 finishes with sixth place in Ruka and ninth in Alpe d’Huez
January 2024
- Mia Brookes astounds the snowboarding world with a near-flawless Slopestyle performance to take victory at X Games 2024, while Zoe Atkin secures Superpipe Silver in an extraordinary battle with Eileen Gu
- Zak Carrick-Smith makes history for Team GB in Gangwon taking three Alpine medals, including two Golds, at Youth Olympic Winter Games
- Siddhartha Ullah becomes the first Black snowboarder to represent Team GB with his selection to compete in Freestyle Snowboard Halfpipe at the Youth Olympic Winter Games
- Dave Ryding, Billy Major, and Laurie Taylor make further British Alpine history with all three finishing inside the top-20 at the Kitzbuehel Slalom World Cup
- Jaz Taylor adds three more podiums, including a further two Golds, giving her a significant lead in the Telemark World Cup standings
- Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest deliver four World Cup podiums in Veysonnaz and Cortina
- Katie Ormerod and Maisie Hill both make their long-awaited World Cup return from injury at the Laax Freestyle Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup, with Ormerod subsequently being recognised by her athlete peers with the British Elite Athletes’ Association Athlete of the Month Award
February 2024
- Zoe Atkin lands three World Cup Freeski Halfpipe podiums to finish the season with a podium in every World Cup contest entered
- Charlotte Bankes seals her first individual Snowboard Cross World Cup podium of the season with Gold at the Gudauri World Cup
- Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest add another Para Alpine World Cup podium with Silver in the Cortina Slalom World Cup
- Jaz Taylor finishes in third spot at the Al Telemark Parallel Sprint World Cup to keep herself in the reckoning for the Overall World Cup title
March 2024
- Charlotte Bankes hits top form with six World Cup podiums in the month, including victories at Sierra Nevada, Cortina, and Mt. St. Anne
- Dave Ryding and Laurie Taylor both take top-10 finishes at the Aspen Slalom World Cup, putting two Brits inside an Alpine World Cup top-10 for the first time since 1968, and a first ever time in Slalom. The result confirms Britain will finish sixth in the overall Men’s Slalom standings, ahead of some of the world’s most renowned Alpine nations
- Mia Brookes and Zoe Atkin continue their astonishing season record with Gold and Silver respectively at Dew Tour 2024 in Streetstyle (Brookes) and Superpipe (Atkin)
- Jaz Taylor delivers five Telemark World Cup podiums and holds her nerve through Finals in Pra Loup to make British history with the Sprint and Overall Telemark World Cup Crystal Globes
- Menna Fitzpatrick and Katie Guest land a further three World Cup podiums, securing the Super-G and Downhill Crystal Globes in the process
- Nina Sparks grabs her maiden Para Snowboard World Cup podium, taking third in Big White
- Emily Rothney secures bronze at the Freestyle Snowboard Big Air World Junior Championships at just 15 years of age
April 2024
- Mateo Jeannesson rounds out a stellar season for British Snowsport athletes with victory at the Moguls World Junior Championships and Bronze in the Dual Moguls World Junior Championships
SmartHer, StrongHer, FastHer initiative to provide coaches and athletes with specialised sport science training for female snowsport athletes
The project, which has been pioneered by GB Snowsport Physiotherapist Abi Okell, comes as the result of ongoing explorations by the Sport Sciences and Medicine department into opportunities for performance gains among the current athlete cohort as we prepare to enter the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games qualifying period for Milan-Cortina 2026.
Drawing on cutting-edge research and insight into female athlete health, the project will provide a series of targeted education interventions for female athletes within the British high performance snowsport system, as well as coaches and support staff working with those athletes, to help optimise performance and wellbeing at a critical point in the Milan-Cortina performance cycle.
Focusing initially on breast health and support, menstrual health and pelvic floor health, and female coaching psychology, the project will aim to provide a stronger foundation to support the growth and success of Britain’s female ski and snowboard athletes across all disciplines. Among the specialists delivering the training will be Professor Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Portsmouth and a world-renowned expert in bra science and breast health, and GB Snowsport Physiotherapist Abi Okell who has supported Britain’s Paralympic and Olympic programmes for over a decade and has recently completed her MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine, as well as having led a similarly focused project for GB Taekwondo’s Development Team.
Announcing the project, GB Snowsport Chief Executive, Vicky Gosling, said:
“The health and wellbeing of our female athletes is an extraordinarily important area of focus for all of us at GB Snowsport, not least due to the amount of world-leading talent that Britain has in the ranks of women’s snowsport.
“As we build towards the Milan-Cortina Games in 2026 we want to ensure we are equipping our teams with all the necessary tools to succeed on and off snow, and we believe this project will have a material impact on the health, success, and welfare of our female athletes and the teams that work with them.”
GB Snowsport Physiotherapist and Project lead, Abi Okell, added:
“This is a topic that’s close to my heart, personally and professionally, and I’m delighted that we’re able to put it into practice this summer.
“We’ve all known for many years the shocking rate of dropout in sport among girls, and recent research has demonstrated just how important it is that targeted sport science interventions and practices are employed when working with female athletes.
“I want all our female athletes, and the coaches and staff that work with them, to feel empowered with the knowledge and awareness to improve their health literacy, body confidence, and ultimately their performance levels in sport. I’m really looking forward to working with the team, and with experts like Professor Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, to deliver this project and enhancing the support available to our incredible skiers and snowboarders.”