Britain sets ambitious medal target for Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games
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A drone view shows the big ski jump in the snow park in Livigno, which will host all snowboard and freestyle skiing events.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Britain will aim for four to eight medals at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, with team chiefs quietly confident they can beat the record of five achieved at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018.
The team returned with only two medals in 2022 in Beijing – a gold in women’s curling and a silver in the men’s – but with world championship success across the various sports in the current Olympic cycle, optimism is running high.
UK Sport says it has set the target range, rather than a specific number, in collaboration with the governing bodies.
“We should absolutely feel confident. We have so many athletes who have achieved podium after podium, which is unprecedented,” Kate Baker, director of performance and people at UK Sport, said on Jan 13.
“Our medal ranges reflect the fact that British athletes are arriving at the Games in hugely competitive form. There is lots to be excited about. We know that our nation has a love affair with winter sports.”
Britain’s strongest medal prospects will be at the sliding and curling centres in Cortina.
Eve Muirhead skippered the women’s curling team to a memorable gold in Beijing, but this time the 35-year-old Scot will be Team GB’s chef de mission.
“I’m confident in saying that I believe that we are taking one of the most potent teams of athletes that we have ever taken to a Winter Olympic Games,” she told reporters.
“While we are a nation that already punches well above our weight, given our relative lack of snow and ice, I believe that this team has the potential to really disrupt the natural order of big winter nations.”
Bruce Mouat will lead Britain’s men’s curling team as they seek to upgrade on the silver from Beijing, while two-time world champion Matt Weston will be one of the strong favourites for gold in men’s skeleton.
“Matt has shown incredible consistency and multiple world championships across this cycle,” Baker said. “We should feel really excited about what this team can do at the Games.”
Podiums in snow sports have been more elusive with only three previous medals but freestyle skiers Kirsty Muir and Zoe Atkin are both considered strong prospects in February, while snowboarders Mia Brookes and Charlotte Bankes will also be expected to challenge.
Brookes won slopestyle gold at the 2023 world championships, aged 16, while Bankes won silver at the 2025 snowboard cross world championships.
Asked how realistic it is for Britain to top its record haul of five medals, Baker added: “The dead centre of our range will represent the greatest Olympic performance that we’ve ever seen at a Winter Games.” REUTERS
