Alpine ski racing has long been the traditional core element within the family of sports that the BSS govern in the UK. Yet as new disciplines have developed and been taken under the wing of British Ski and Snowboard (as it is currently known), alpine has almost been left behind in terms of how its elite athletes are developed. The BSS looks after only the elite athletes and this in effect means those that have made it up to the Europa Cup level of competition. Racer Ready caught up with Vicky Gosling, the new CEO of BSS and discussed the present and the future of ensuring more athletes reach the levels of performance currently being demonstrated by Dave Ryding, Alex Tilley, Laurie Taylor, Charlie Guest, Charlie Raposo and Jack Gower.
Asked whether there was any movement by the BSS to take the competition element of alpine ‘in-house,’ Gosling replied: “It comes down to finance right now. We are only funded for the top athletes at the moment, that is the UK Sport model. We do not have the ability to go beneath that really, at the moment.
“However, what we are really, really keen to do is understand the pathway better, understand the academies better and understand what it takes better. We understand what it takes to win at this level but what does it take to understand that the pipeline has sufficient strength in depth and that we can help where we can,” Gosling explained. Gosling recognises that it costs a lot of money to get athletes through to the top of the sport.
“I am extremely keen that our foundation is built up significantly at the same time as our pod of funding is built up as we will have more leverage in how we can assist. We have a good pod of funding within the foundation and we can help the pathways. What I am really keen to do is have a better relationship with the academies so we can help ensure that those who potentially cannot afford to go to the academies are helped,” Gosling continued. While the academies are alpine focused at the moment, Gosling would love to see them become multi disciplinary entities.
While she would “definitely like to see this,” Gosling is looking to trying put a bursary system in place as she recognises “success breeds success.”
Gosling sees the job of the BSS to create everything in terms of support for the athletes that can lead to success. “We have the talent that can get there, we need to understand how they do get there if they do not have sufficient funds themselves. We need to look at the system to see how are we funding spaces for those that cannot afford it so it is not just for the elite, it is for everybody.”
When you look at the results, Gosling feels, “it is not those that have been through the academies that are reaping the rewards." With every athlete on the British Alpine World Cup Team at the moment having spent some time training at the British Ski Academy, the role the BSA and the other academies have played in providing an affordable pathway to the national team, cannot be underestimated.
The summer has been very hectic for Gosling and she has had to prioritise things. “Everything takes time and my priority has been to make sure everybody feels comfortable and secure whether you are an athlete or a member of staff, all the foundation is comfortable and all is well and transparent. Then it is getting money. This is a big, big priority for me: It is getting the right branding and the right look and feel. And then making sure we have the money to invest back into the system.”
Gosling will head to the Freestyle World Championships in February and if she can, will go to Are afterwards but will be in Tignes for the Alpine National Championships.