Top row (L-R) Finlay Mickel, Chemmy Alcott, James Leuzinger, Alain Baxter, Noel Baxter
Bottom row: Roger Cruickshank, Jo Greig, Geri Greber (Team Coach), Christian Schwaiger (Head Coach), Mark Tilston (Performance Director)

The questions from the press naturally focused on the up coming Olympics, with the stated goal being to achieve the best ever results in the modern era by British athletes.

After last year’s superb breakthrough season, Finlay Mickel is considered the most likely to achieve this. The confidence he has taken on board from last year’s results (including an 11th at the World Champs) is clear to see. He has been training with Bode Miller and Darren Rahlves from the American team over the summer and reckoned that he was ‘up with Darren and only a few seconds behind Bode’.

Chemmy Alcott remains the best female hope, with Jo Greig returning from injury. Her effervescent personality couldn’t contrast more with the quietly determined Mickel, but there’s no doubting that she has the self-belief necessary to improve on last year’s average season.

Of the rest of the team, all are out to improve their rankings, and Alain Baxter has obviously the pedigree to be successful at the highest level.

The wild card in the pack however looks like being Roger Cruickshank. Currently training to be a fighter pilot in the RAF (‘it’s like playing a video game’), Cruickshank clearly has a love of speed, whether at 600mph through the air, or at 80mph+ on the snow.

Natives wishes all the best success to all of the British team this winter, but watch out for our two downhillers in particular, Mickel and Cruickshank – they feel the need, the need for speed!

[Photos courtesy of Mike Welby at Dogtag.co.uk]