Thirteen Skiers and Snowboarders named in Team GB squad for European Youth Olympic Festival

The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced the athletes who will represent Team GB at the Vorarlberg and Liechtenstein 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF 2015) from 25th-30th January 2015.

Of the 15 athletes selected for EYOF, all aged 15-17 years old, eight of them are Alpine Skiers, three Cross Country Skiers, and two Snowboarders.

The Alpine skiers who will compete across both the Slalom and Giant Slalom events – the only two Alpine Skiing events set to feature at EYOF 2015 – are Jess Anderson, Jordan Fellows, Kirsty Guest, Anna Henderson, Sofia Iglina, Euan Kick, Robert Poth and Zak Vinter. The Alpine team will be led by Mark Vinter and Paul Telling.

The three Cross Country Skiers will compete in seven medal events during the week, with classic, free and sprint races for both boys and girls before a mixed relay on the final day of competition. The selected athletes are Duncan Gibb, Lynne Gray and Beth Maclean with Alex Standen and Fiona Crossley as coaches.

Selected snowboarders Glen Ironside and Ayla Thidling will compete in Snowboard Cross at the festival, coached by James Foster.

All the athletes will test themselves against Europe’s finest youth winter athletes as the Festival is set to welcome over 900 competitors from 45 nations for five days of action in the Alps. Vorarlberg and Liechtenstein are hosting the 12th winter edition of EYOF. In total, eight disciplines will feature at EYOF 2015, with biathlon, ice hockey, Nordic combined and ski jumping completing the programme.

With many of the senior Team GB athletes already working on the road to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, EYOFs play a crucial role in the development of young British athletes and provides a multi-sport event experience that helps them along the route to achieving their own Olympic dreams.

Alpine skier Jess Anderson said: “I loved watching the skiing at Sochi 2014 last year and it’s always great to see British athletes involved in the Olympic Games. My goal is to compete at the Olympic Winter Games one day and EYOF 2015 is a great opportunity for me to learn and experience a part of Olympic life. It’s a huge honour to be selected and I can’t wait to get out there.”

Cross Country skier Lynne Gray said: “It’s going to be an incredible feeling to put on the Team GB kit for the first time and wear the Olympic Rings at the Opening Ceremony. The Olympic Games is the pinnacle for winter sport and I’m hugely proud to be part of the Olympic Movement at this stage in my cross-country skiing career.”

Snowboarder Glen Ironside said: “Watching Team GB’s snowboarders at Sochi 2014 was incredible and it’s great to see the sport growing within the Olympic Movement. Jamie Nicholls, who made the Olympic slopestyle final, is a real inspiration for me and I’ll be trying to take my next steps towards emulating him when competing for Team GB for the first time in Vorarlberg and Lichtenstein.”

For quotes from all the athletes and four Team Leaders who will make up Team GB at EYOF 2015 please click here.

 

EYOF 2015, Team GB full squad:

Alpine Skiing

Jess Anderson, 16, from Hannington, Northamptonshire

Jordan Fellows, 17,  Walsall, West Midlands

Kirsty Guest, 17,  Perth, Perthshire

Anna Henderson, 16, Edlesborough, Buckinghamshire

Sofia Iglina, 17,  Stockport, Greater Manchester

Euan Kick, 17,  Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute

Robert Poth, 16,  Potters Bar, Hertfordshire

Zak Vinter, 16, Glasgow

 

Cross Country Skiing

Duncan Gibb, 17, Insch, Aberdeenshire

Lynne Gray, 16, Hopeman, Moray

Beth Maclean, 16, Huntly, Aberdeenshire

Snowboarding

Glen Ironside,15, Unterhaching, Germany

Ayla Thidling, 15, Shoreditch, London

 

Figure Skating

Josh Brown, 15, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Danielle Harrison, 15, Basingstoke/Dundee

 

For more information contact Betony Garner, BSS Media Officer on 07779 801 691 / betony@sigb.org.uk or Ed Langford from Team GB on 0207 842 5700 / ed.langford@teamgb.com