Sport In Profile UK Issue 05 | Page 44

BRITISH SKiing & SNowbaording FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/SPORTINPROFILE British Skiing & Snowboarding British snowsports – a success story British Skiing and Snowboarding has enjoyed a fantastic year in 2014 with the progress that has been made being capped off by Jenny Jones winning GB’s first medal on snow in the history of the Winter Olympics. Media Officer for British Skiing and Snowbarding Betony Garner took the time to give us an insight into their success. S he told us, “Snowsports in Great Britain has made amazing steps forward in the last four years. In 2010 the governing body for snowsports in the UK, Snowsports GB, went into liquidation, and since the new governing body, British Ski and Snowboard, was set up just ahead of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, skiing and snowboarding in this country has never looked back. The success can be attributed to several things. A new set up, including a new Performance Director for British Ski and Snowboard, many talented freestyle skiers and snowboarders coming out of the UK indoor and artificial slopes scene, and continued support from UK Sport and sponsors including British Ski and Snowboard headline sponsor Delancey.” Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics “For British snowsports the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games were a milestone – our most successful ever since 1924. With six top 10 finishes - including Britain’s first ever Winter Olympic Snowboard medal - a further five athletes in the top 20, and three more in the top 30, Sochi 2014 was remarkable for British snowsports.” Legacy “We are confident that the success of our athletes, and the exposure given to snowsports during the Games will inspire new people to take up snowsports and inspire our younger athletes to aim high and try to emulate the success of Jenny Jones and the rest of the team. We have already seen an upturn in the use of artificial and indoor slopes in the UK, and have seen Snowsport England run a successful participation campaign, GO 44 Issue 05