Beijing 2022 - ‘We’re more than team-mates’ - Andrew Young on GB cross-country ski team’s strengths over rivals
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Published 16/12/2021 at 13:16 GMT
With 50 days to go until Beijing, Andrew Young is preparing to go to his fourth Olympics Games, having already met the criteria, along with team-mates Andrew Musgrave and James Clugnet. The 29-year-old says the inclusive nature of the set-up is a strength which the traditionally strong Nordic nations cannot match - and they are using that to their advantage.
Andrew Young says Great Britain's success is built on team-work
Image credit: Getty Images
Great Britain may not be a traditional cross-country skiing powerhouse, but quietly they are building something which may end up being the envy of the strongest nations on the circuit, with 50 days to go until the Beijing 2022 Olympics.
In the 2021 season, Andrew Young reached the World Cup podium twice - the best performance of his career so far - while Andrew Mugrave also registered a third place finish, and up and coming skier James Clugnet is making quick progress.
It is a small, compact team - but everything is elite, built up over a number of years. GB Snowsport’s cross-country set-up is top level, but it is perhaps the team ethic which is their most impressive asset. Young has told Eurosport that is quite unique.
“We're not fighting with each other for selection - I don't have to beat Andrew or Jimmy to go to the Olympics,” he said.
“Whereas in the Norwegian team, they've only got eight spots. For all their events, I think they've got 16 on the team - half of them can't go. There's a real internal fight there, you have to beat your roommate to go to the Olympics.
“Sharing secrets, giving tips at a training camp - it can't be as productive for the team because you've got to beat half of them just to qualify.
“We don't have that, it's a much more helpful environment, we really contribute to each other's training, we can push ourselves to make sure we're all better, and I think other teams miss out on that.
We're more than team-mates, we're friends, and it's a huge strength that we have.
Young says he is “not where I planned to be” so far this season, with his best position being a 30th place finish at the Davos World Cup at the weekend. He says there are reasons for that - which might end up playing to his advantage at Beijing 2022.
“Considering I've ended up where I am, I feel like I've got a good plan now going forward. 10 days before the season, I started coming down with a bit of food poisoning.
“Nothing particularly dramatic or serious, but we were very cautious with how I built up my training - in hindsight, a bit too cautious. It put me back a bit. At the same time, historically, I've always been in my best shape in December.
“Maybe this is a bit of a blessing in disguise, it's forced me to ease back a little bit and hopefully transform that peak I usually have in December to February when it's the Olympics. Hopefully, we can turn this into something positive.”
Cross-country skiing is a sport which requires similar levels of endurance as the likes of rowing. Marathon runners typically peak in their 30s and Young has not reached that point yet. He believes the best years could yet be ahead of him.
“There is definitely a long peak, you can have a long career in cross country skiing,” he said.
“That being said, we are seeing that there are some very young athletes, 19, 20 year olds who are producing some good results, but then they continue producing good results up until their mid 30s.
“But then we're seeing athletes who don't start producing good results until they're in their late 20s, early 30s.
“There isn't really a rule, maybe you start off as being quite good at sprint events and as you get older, maybe the distance races are the better ones. I'm focusing on sprinting.”
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