PyeongChang 2018: TASS athletes named in Great Britain team

TASS alumna Shelley Rudman (Reuters)

Former TASS-supported athletes are aiming to bring home medals from the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, with more than 25 alumni confirmed for the Team GB and Paralympics GB squad.

Success in winter sport is written into TASS’ history since Shelley Rudman was the first TASS-supported athlete to win an Olympic medal with her silver in skeleton, at Turin in 2006.

And at the last Games, Sochi 2014, former recipients of TASS support won six medals in total consisting of five Paralympic medals, plus Lizzy Yarnold’s Olympic gold in skeleton.

Yarnold’s winning margin of 0.97 seconds in Sochi was the largest in Olympic history as she registered two track records and the fastest down time in each of the four runs.

Meanwhile, triple world champion short-track speed skater Elise Christie – along with teammates Charlotte Gilmartin, Kathryn Thompson, Farrell Treacy and Joshua Cheetham –  are five of the TASS alumni who will be on the plane to South Korea.

Since winning the 500m at the World Cup in Seoul in November last year, Christie admits she’s hungrier than ever for gold at the Games:

“Winning a gold medal while I had an injury has just given me so much confidence. I know I’m so much stronger going into the Olympics than I was in that race.”

The world record holder was helped by the Scheme for five years during her development, accessing support services including strength and conditioning and lifestyle.

TASS will also be represented by a record number of Team GB skiers and snowboarders in PyeongChang in February with a dozen alumni named in the squad.

Dave Ryding in action at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup (Reuters)

Experienced alpine skier Dave Ryding will be returning for his third Olympics, while for aerial skier Lloyd Wallace, who was supported by TASS up until 2017, it will be his first Games.

Wallace continues a family involvement with the Games and in doing so has become the first British male to compete in aerials in 20 years.

His mother Jilly (nee Curry) appeared in the 1992 (moguls) and 1994 (aerials) Olympic Winter Games, while his father Robin participated in the demonstration sport of ski ballet in 1988.

“TASS support has been invaluable to me throughout my career as an athlete,” said the 22-year-old, who is a graduate from the University of Bath.

“Having access to strength and conditioning, physiotherapy, sport psychology and lifestyle support whilst studying gave me that extra edge I needed to succeed in my sport and my studies.”

The Winter Olympics will take place between 9-25 February, with the Paralympics 9-18 March 2018. The list of TASS alumni competing and the years they were supported by the programme is as follows:

Winter Olympics

Alpine Skiing

  • Dave Ryding (04/05, 05/06, 06/07, 07/08, 10/11)

Bobsleigh

  • Brad Hall (12/13, 13/14)
  • Mica McNeill (10/11, 11/12)

Figure Skating

  • Nick Buckland (07/08, 08/09, 09/10)
  • Penny Coomes (07/08, 08/09, 09/10)

Freestyle Skiing

  • Rowan Cheshire (11/12, 12/13, 13/14)
  • Tyler Harding (12/13, 13/14)
  • Emily Sarsfield (04/05, 10/11, 11/12, 13/14)
  • Peter Speight (12/13, 13/14, 14/15)
  • Katie Summerhayes (11/12)
  • Molly Summerhayes (14/15)
  • Lloyd Wallace (13/14, 15/16, 16/17)

Luge

  • Adam (AJ) Rosen (05/06, 06/07, 07/08, 09/10)

Short-Track Speed Skating

  • Elise Christie (06/07, 07/08, 08/09, 09/10, 10/11)
  • Charlotte Gilmartin (05/05, 06/07, 07/08, 08/09, 09/10, 10/11)
  • Kathryn Thomson (12/13)
  • Farrell Treacy (10/11, 12/13)
  • Joshua Cheetham (08/09, 09/10)

Skeleton

  • Laura Deas (10/11)
  • Dom Parsons (07/08, 08/09, 09/10, 10/11, 11/12, 12/13)
  • Lizzy Yarnold (09/10, 10/11, 11/12)

Snowboarding

  • Aimee Fuller (09/10, 10/11)
  • Zoe Gillings-Brier (10/11, 11/12)
  • Jamie Nicholls (09/10, 10/11)
  • Katie Ormerod (13/14)

Winter Paralympics

VI Alpine Skiing

  • Menna Fitzpatrick (14/15, 15/16) & Jennifer Kehoe (guide)

Wheelchair Curling

  • Aileen Neilson (06/07, 07/08)