Skier Noel Baxter has been left out of Great Britain’s squad for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Baxter, 28, brother of ex-skier Alain, competed in the previous two Winter Games, but a dip in form coincided with a cut in his funding this season. Snowboard cross medal hopeful Zoe Gillings is included, along with world women’s bobsleigh champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke.

The British Ski and Snowsport Federation is to go into administration after struggling to meet its financial obligations. The BSSF struggled for some time with some athletes having funding cut in the run-up to the Winter Olympics. British skiers and snowboarders will be able to take part but face uncertain futures after the Games in Vancouver.

With seventeen days to go until the start of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the British Olympic Association (BOA) have today (26 January) announced the skiers and snowboarders who will take part in the Vancouver, Canada between 12 – 28 February.

British Olympic officials are preparing a contingency plan in case the national ski and snowboard federation goes bankrupt before next month’s Winter Games in Vancouver. The British Ski and Snowboard Federation could go into financial administration unless it receives $326,000 in funding by the end of January.

British Alpine Ski Team member, Pam Thorburn (23, Strathaven) got her Olympic season underway with a well-deserved win in her opening race in Hemsedal, Norway on the 24 November 2009.

Andrew Musgrave, Britain’s top skier on the British Cross Country Ski Team, proved his worth against some tough competition in his first World Cup race of the season in Beitostølen, Norway on Saturday 21 November.

At 19 years of age, Musgrave was the youngest competitor in a field of 100 starters in the 15 km free technique race. Finishing 6.58% behind the winner and earning 52.64 FIS points in the process, made this his best points in his 11 World Cup races to date.

British skier Ed Drake got his Winter Olympic season off to a great start with a podium finish in a European Cup super-G in Reiteralm, Austria.

It was Drake’s best race result as he finished third behind Patrick Kueng and Philipp Schoerghofer.

“It’s the first opportunity to race and to find out how training has gone. Third feels fantastic,” he said.

European Cup is below World Cup level but a top three finish is equivalent to a top 20 result in the top tier.

Great Britain’s top skiers and snowboarders are facing a funding crisis in the run up to February’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Snowsport GB, the national governing body, have dug themselves a financial black hole following excessive spending with debts of £300,000 reported by acting chief executive Robin Kellen back in August.

Those debts prompted the sacking of then chief executive Mark Simmers, but Kellen and non executive chairman Oliver Jones, were eventually able to arrange a four-year, £350,000 loan with a variety of backers and with the support of lead sponsor British Land.