With there now less than 100 days to go until the start of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games we give a preview of the upcoming winter sports season in every discipline Team GB should compete in.
Short track speed skating, figure skating, freestyle skiing and snowboarding have all opened up their accounts however now that October has given way for November the action really kicks into gear.
January 19 marks the all-important cut-off date for qualifying for the majority of sports with the next two months set to make or break the hopes and dreams of Team GB athletes.
Each sports season stops for the Olympic Winter Games, which run from February 7-23 however there is plenty of action afterwards with several sports hosting their World Championships.
Alpine Skiing
Britain’s brightest ski hope for Sochi 2014, three-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott is well on the road to recovery and will look to compete on the World Cup circuit before the Games. Vancouver 2010 Olympian Dave Ryding is also one to watch out for.
World Cup, Levi, November 16-17
World Cup, Beaver Creek, November 26-December 1
World Cup, Lake Louise, November 27-December 1
World Cup, Lake Louise, December 3-8
World Cup, Beaver Creek, December 3-8
World Cup, St Moritz, December 14-15
World Cup, Val d’Isere, December 14-15
World Cup, Courchevel, December 17
World Cup, Val Gardena, December 18-21
World Cup, Val d’Isere, December 19-22
World Cup, Alta Badia, December 22
World Cup, Bormio, December 27-29
World Cup, Lienz, December 28-29
World Cup, Munich, January 1
World Cup, Zagreb, January 4-6
World Cup, Altenmarkt, January 9-12
World Cup, Apelboden, January 11-12
World Cup, Flachau, January 14
World Cup, Wengen, January 14-19
World Cup, Cortina d’Ampezzo, January 16-19
World Cup, Kitzbuhel, January 21-26
World Cup, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, January 22-26
World Cup, Schladming, January 28
World Cup, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, January 29-February 2
World Cup, Maribor, February 1-2
World Cup, Crans Montana, February 27-March 2
World Cup, Kvitfjell, February 27-March 2
World Cup, Are, March 7-8
World Cup, Kranjska Gora, March 8-9
World Cup, Lenzerheide, March 10-16
Bobsleigh & Skeleton
Britain’s World Cup teams have been announced but the events before will help shape who goes and how many. Bobsleigh pilot John Jackson will make his comeback from injury while Shelley Rudman begins the season as women’s skeleton world champion.
World Cup, Calgary, November 24-30
World Cup, Park City, December 2-7
World Cup, Lake Placid, December 10-15
World Cup, Winterberg, December 31-January 5
World Cup, St Moritz, January 7-12
World Cup, Igls, January 14-19
World Cup & European Championships, Koenigssee, January 21-26
Biathlon
Three British men are battling it out for one spot for Sochi, so the start of the season should be an exciting one. Vancouver 2010 Olympian Lee Jackson heads up the three with Kevin Kane and Marcel Laponder the other two.
World Cup, Oestersund, November 22-December 1
World Cup, Hochfilzen, December 3-8
World Cup, Annecy Le Grand-Bornand, December 9-15
World Cup, Oberhof, January 1-5
World Cup, Ruhpolding, January 6-12
World Cup, Antholz-Anterselva, Januaey 13-19
European Championships, Nove Mesto, January 27-February 4
World Cup, Pokljuka, March 3-9
World Cup, Kontiolahti, March 10-16
World Cup, Oslo, March 17-23
Cross Country Skiing
Andrew Musgrave was the star turn for Britain last season and is in good spirits ahead of the season if his Halloween updates are anything to go by. Britain also have sister Posy, Fiona Hughes and Andrew Young to look out for.
World Cup, Kuusamo, November 29- 2
World Cup, Lillehammer, December 7-8
World Cup, Davos, December 14-15
World Cup, Asiago, December 21-22
World Cup – Tour de Ski, December 28-January 5
World Cup, Nove Mesto, January 11-12
World Cup, Szklarska Poreba, January 18-19
World Cup, Toblach, February 1-2
World Cup, Lahti, March 1-2
World Cup, Drammen, March 5
World Cup, Oslo, March 8-9
World Cup, Falun, March 14-16
Curling
Britain’s men’s and women’s curling teams for Sochi have long been announced but they will want to lay down a marker at the European Championships.
European Championships, Stavanger, November 23-30
Women’s World Championships, St John, March 15-23
Men’s World Championships, Beijing, March 29-April 6
Figure Skating
The figure skating season has already begun and nations have been handed their Olympic places. Team GB will be represented in the ladies, pairs and ice dance but the events up to January, and the British Championships in particular, will decide who is selected.
NHK Trophy, Tokyo, November 8-10
Eric Bompard Trophy, Paris, November 15-17
Rostelecom Cup, Moscow, November 22-24
British Championships, Sheffield, November 26-30
Grand Prix Final, Fukuoka, December 5-8
European Championships, Budapest, January 13-19
World Championships, Saitama, March 24-30
Freestyle Skiing
Britain are an up-and-coming freeski nation and the early World Cups will be key to those who compete in slopestyle, aerials, halfpipe, ski-cross and moguls who haven’t secured the Olympic qualification standard.
World Cup, Nakiska, December 6-7
World Cup, Ruka, December 14
World Cup, Val Thorens, December 14-15
World Cup, Beida Lake, December 15
World Cup, Copper Mountain, December 18-21
World Cup, Innichen, December 20-22
World Cup, Beijing, December 21-22
World Cup, Calgary, January 3-4
World Cup, Northstar, January 8-12
World Cup, Deer Valley, January 9-11
World Cup, Megeve, January 10-11
World Cup, Val St Come, January 14-19
World Cup, Lake Placid, January 15-18
World Cup, Bischofswiesen, January 16-18
World Cup, Gstaad, January 18
World Cup, Kreischberg, January 24-25
World Cup, Inawashiro, March 1-2
World Cup, Minsk, March 1
World Cup, Arosa, March 6-7
World Cup, Are, March 14-16
World Cup, Voss-Myrkdalen, March 15-16
World Cup, La Plagne, March 21-23
World Cup, Silvaplana, March 22
Luge
Adam Rosen is Britain’s sole luge slider on the World Cup circuit and he’ll be hoping to book his place to his third Olympic Winter Games as soon as possible.
World Cup, Lillehammer, November 16-17
World Cup, Igls, November 23-24
World Cup, Winterberg, November 30-December 1
World Cup, Whistler, December 6-7
World Cup, Park City, December 13-14
World Cup, Koenigssee, January 4-5
World Cup, Oberhof, January 11-12
World Cup, Altenberg, January 18-19
World Cup – European Championships, Sigulda, January 25-26
Short Track Speed Skating
The next two World Cups are decisive on the road to Sochi with both acting as the official Olympic qualifiers. While Team GB should be well represented in Sochi, these World Cups will be key if we are to have a women’s 3000m relay team in particular.
World Cup, Torino, November 7-10
World Cup, Kolomna, November 14-17
European Championships, Dresden, January 17-19
World Championships, Montreal, March 14-16
Snowboarding
Britain are also a rising nation in snowboarding and could be well represented in Sochi. The majority of World Cups take place in the run up to January 19 and will be vital.
World Cup, Montafon, December 6-8
World Cup, Ruka, December 12-13
World Cup, Carezza, December 13-14
World Cup, Copper Mountain, December 18-22
World Cup, Lake Louise, December 20-21
World Cup, Jauerling, January 10
World Cup, Vallnord, January 10-11
World Cup, Bad Gastein, January 12
World Cup, Stoneham, January 16-19
World Cup, Veysonnaz, January 17-19
World Cup, Rogla, January 18
World Cup, Sudelfeld, February 1
World Cup, Kreischberg, March 5-6
World Cup, La Molina, March 7-9
© Sportsbeat 2013