Davies takes inspiration from Bankes and Nightingale

You've watched Team GB win a snowboard cross gold, now get ready for it's faster and jumpier cousin ski cross.

Ollie Davies is set to shine in the men's ski cross at Milano Cortina, four years after becoming GB's first ever Olympian in the event.

On paper, it is very similar to it's snowboarding counterpart, with seeding rounds ahead of four-person heats that see the top two move on to the next bracket until a winner is crowned.

But it's a different kettle of fish when you switch to skis, with a new course at quicker speeds promising even greater drama in Livigno.

"It's very different," said Davies, "We're a little bit quicker so the draft isn't the same.

"The start is the same, but they've changed it for us so it's quicker. Then we do stuff that they can't do and vice versa.

"But there are combinations that work for them which also work for us, so everyone will be doing the same there. There are no secrets."

Davies finished 31st on his Olympic debut in Beijing and has since seen a change in coaching set-up propel him to a second Games.

He comes into Milano Cortina 2026 with plenty up his sleeves after an impressive December on the World Cup stage, and despite a disappointing at his recent test event, Davies noted that the course has changed so much since, that anything could happen on the day.

After all that is the nature of ski cross.

"We had a test event earlier in February because we didn't get one last year," he said.

"It wasn't so good. It was the first test on the track, obviously, so it was pretty slow. There wasn't much to it and it wasn't that cool to ride for us.

"So they changed it quite a bit after the snowboarders left, they've injected some turns, which is cool, and they've just watered it so it becomes an ice rink.

"They've added a couple more jumps, so it's better, there's more action, and for us as riders it feels like more is happening."

Davies was given direct input into the course changes as Team GB's lone ski cross athlete, with all the other competing nations getting their say so it's just right.

And with competition to take place on Saturday in Livigno, with seeding, heats and finals all on the same day, Davies is now ready to emulate his snowboard cross teammates Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nigtingale, as he watched them roar to gold in the team event last week.

"I was there, which is pretty sick," he said.

"I was traveling over and I left early enough just so I could arrive. So I was like in the car as their first run was starting and then I pulled up and ran over and got to watch from the semis onwards.

"It was pretty special to experience that with them.

"I hope noise goes around and people start talking about this and exposure comes and there's some more support."

Sportsbeat 2026