The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced the 15 athletes selected to represent Team GB at the Vorarlberg and Liechtenstein 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF 2015) from 25th-30th January 2015.
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.
Team GB consists of 15 athletes, all aged 15-17 years old, who will compete across four of the eight disciplines at EYOF 2015; alpine skiing, cross country skiing, figure skating and snowboarding.
They 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 with Team GB having sent athletes to all previous 11 Festivals. In total, eight disciplines will feature at EYOF 2015, with biathlon, ice hockey, Nordic combined and ski jumping completing the programme.
Team GB’s 15 strong athlete delegation will feature eight alpine skiers, who will all compete across both the slalom and giant slalom events – the only two alpine skiing events set to feature at EYOF 2015.
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.
Team GB’s two figure skaters, both aged 15 years old, will compete in the short and free programmes, while the team’s two snowboarders will test themselves in the snowboard cross event.
Leading the 15 athletes at EYOF 2015 as Chef de Mission will be two-time Olympic gold medal winning sailor Sarah Gosling. Sarah, who triumphed at both Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 in the Yngling Class, is taking on her second role as Chef de Mission for Team GB, having previously led the delegation in the summer edition of the EYOF at Utrecht 2013.
Sarah said: “This is a great time to be a young British winter athlete following the success of Sochi 2014 last year. EYOF 2015 provides the perfect springboard for budding winter Olympians to gain valuable experience at a multi-sport event and as part of Team GB.
“EYOFs such as this offer the chance for young athletes to experience life in an Olympic environment, mix with competitors from different sports and nationalities, and are given the chance to develop as individuals as well as athletes. These Festivals, and similar Olympic Youth events, have helped shape the Olympic careers of Team GB stars such as Chemmy Alcott, who made her Team GB debut at EYOF 1999.”
For quotes from the 15 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
Figure Skating
Josh Brown, 15, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Danielle Harrison, 15, Basingstoke/Dundee
Snowboarding
Glen Ironside,15, Unterhaching, Germany
Ayla Thidling, 15, Shoreditch, London