Yesterday marked one year to go until the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games but for a group of 17 promising British talents, a first taste of life as part of Team GB lies just two days away.
On Sunday Team GB will march into the Opening Ceremony of the Erzurum 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival as five days of winter sport action begins in eastern Turkey.
The athletes, all aged 15-17 years old, will compete across five of the nine disciplines at Erzurum 2017; alpine skiing, cross country skiing, figure skating, short track speed skating and snowboarding - with the Festival set to run from the 12th-17th February.
They will test themselves against Europe’s finest youth winter athletes as the Festival welcomes over 800 competitors from 40 nations for five days of action in Turkey.
Erzurum is hosting the 13th winter edition of EYOF with Team GB having sent athletes to all previous 12 Festivals. In total, nine disciplines will feature at Erzurum 2017, with biathlon, curling, ice hockey and ski jumping completing the programme.
With many of the senior Team GB athletes working on the road to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, European Youth Olympic Festivals play a crucial role in the development of young British athletes and provides a first multi-sport event experience that helps them along the route to achieving their own Olympic dreams.
You can follow Team GB’s journey at Erzurum 2017 right here on TeamGB.com but also by following us on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook.
Ryan Brown, aged 17, from Courmayeur, Italy
Abigail Bruce, 16, Leatherhead
Alicja Krahelski, 17, Wimbledon
Olivia Ward, 16, Betws-Y-Coed
Angus Wills, 17, Battersea
Brodie Murray, aged 17, from Huntly
Fergus Newman, 17, Huntly
Oliver Newman, 17, Huntly
Jack Nicholls, 17, Huntly
Luke Digby, aged 15, from Sheffield
Anna Litvinenko, 15, Guildford
Natalie Crawford, aged 15, from Nottingham
Holly Hoyland, 16, Nottingham
Peter Riches, 15, Putney
Niall Treacy, 16, Henley-in-Arden
Maisie Hill, aged 15, Gloucester
Ellie Soutter, 16, Les Gets, France