Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson invites fan Dave Ryding to Anfield after return from Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

ByHarry Latham Coyle

Updated 14/02/2022 at 22:37 GMT

Team GB slalom star Dave Ryding will bid to win Britain's first medal of Beijing 2022 when he goes in his favoured event on Wednesday morning. The 35-year-old became the first ever British winner of an Alpine Skiing World Cup event when he took victory in Kitzbuhel last month, and will return to an open invite from Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has sent a message of support to Team GB skiing star Dave Ryding as the slalom star prepares to bid for Winter Olympic glory.

Ryding, who last month became Britain's first ever winner of a World Cup event with a sensational victory in Kitzbuhel, will race over two runs on Wednesday, hoping to improve a disappointing Beijing 2022 for Great Britain that has seem the team so far fail to win a single medal.

But however he finishes in Beijing, Ryding will return to an open invite from club captain Jordan Henderson.

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In a video message sent to wish the 35-year-old luck ahead of race-day in China, Henderson said: "I just wanted to send you a quick message to say big congratulations on the win and all the very best in Beijing.

"I hope it goes well. It’s nice to hear you are a big Liverpool fan. I hope to see you at Anfield when you get back. Take care mate, good luck.”

Ryding was born about 25 miles north of Anfield in the town Bretherton in Lancashire.

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He will hope to contend in an open men's slalom field: the six World Cup events this season have been won by six different skiers.

Great Britain have never won an alpine skiing medal at the Winter Olympics, though Alain Baxter stood on the podium in Salt Lake City after taking bronze in the slalom at Salt Lake City in 2002.

However Baxter was later stripped of his medal having tested positive for a banned substance.

Ryding hopes that he can reproduce the sort of performance that allowed him to triumph on the Hahnenkamm and medal in China, insisting that he is not changing his approach ahead of the quadrennial event.

"It's been a great year so far, but I’ve got to remember what got me there and make sure I keep doing it - that's how I hopefully keep doing these great things," Ryding told the Olympics website.

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"The World Cup victory takes a huge pressure off my shoulders - to finally do it - and just reiterates that I'm doing the right things and need to keep doing them.

"Everyone is talking about this man-made snow, but I think it’s overplayed because we ski on a lot of man-made snow in Europe and the World Cups anyway. So, it's maybe a bit drier over here because of the climate.

"It’s slightly different in that sense, but if anything I prefer aggressive, drier snow. I'm hoping it suits me."

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Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+

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