The Winter Olympics in Vancouver are just three months away and skier Andy Noble has already qualified for Team GB. That’s the good news.  But the Scot has suffered months of frustration in the build-up to his career highlight.

“It’s been a disastrous summer for British skiing,” is how the 25-year-old sums up the current situation surrounding the sport’s British governing body. “Snowsport GB overspent by around £300,000 and were on the brink of administration.

“It means that all British team members have had to pay £2,500 just to wear the jacket. We’ve also had to pay for flights, accommodation and even lift passes. I’ve agreed to do it because I want to stay as part of the set-up.

“Our training has also been cut back. Some of the coaches hadn’t been paid and instead of 60 days on snow over the summer we only managed 35. 

“The lack of support in Olympic year has been very frustrating and I do feel really let down. But if I want to go to Vancouver then I have to do it.”

Fortunately, Andy, a client of Red Sky Management in Edinburgh, has the support of loyal sponsors in Initial Citylink, website company Tidalfire, and property company Whiteburn. 

He is also, by nature, a glass half full man. “I’ve always dreamt of going to the Olympics and I want to on and achieve great things in skiing,” said the Edinburgh man who has fellow-Scots Noel Baxter and Dougie Crawford for company in the GB squad. 

“I had some good results at the start of last season before I suffered a set-back with a niggling knee problem. Unfortunately, the injury meant I wasn’t at my best for the world championships in Val D’Isere in February, 

“But I have already met the Olympic qualifying criteria. There are four of us who have made it so far (he’s the only Scot) and there are five skiing spaces. Of course, things could change before the end of qualifying on January 18, but I’m very hopeful that I’ll make it.”

The first World Cup event of the season was last month, but after a training camp was blighted by poor weather conditions in the Alps, Andy decided to delay the launch of his season until the second event at the end of this month in Finland. 

And the run of misfortune has not doused either his enthusiasm or his ambition. A specialist in the Giant Slalom and Slalom disciplines, he has set the target of a top 20 place at the Olympics – and is not afraid to aim even higher.

“It’s an Olympics and if I can find the same form as I had at the start of last year, then anything can happen,” he added. “I was beating some of the best guys in training and if I can take that into competition then it would be great. 

“At the moment, I’m not looking much further than Vancouver. I work on four year cycles, but I would definitely like to go on and make the 2014 Olympics in Russia.”

EB
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