Welcome to a winter wonderland. The good news for British fans is, for the first time in 20 years, this icy, snowy extravaganza is just a couple of hours’ flying time from the UK and one hour ahead of GMT. So no need to go long haul or pull an all-nighter just to get your fix of luge.
This year the Winter Olympics return to Europe and there is plenty to be excited about from a British point of view, with an extremely strong team of medal hopefuls – many of them hunting for gold – hoping to leave Italy more decorated than when they arrived.
On the slopes, skiers Zoe Atkin and Kirsty Muir and snowboarders Mia Brookes and Charlotte Bankes have had impressive seasons.
But there is nothing to match Britain’s skeleton pedigree at the Winter Games and the sliders aiming to follow in the tracks of past gold medal winners Lizzy Yarnold and Amy Williams plus Shelley Rudman, who won silver in Italy in 2006, this year are Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt.
Four-time British Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott, now a presenter on BBC’s Ski Sunday and who will be commentating in Milan-Cortina, says this event has ‘the potential to bring winter sport back to the masses’ and backed our skeleton stars to shine.
‘Matt and Marcus have absolutely dominated this season. No World Cup event was won by anyone other than a Brit this year,’ she told Metro.
‘They’re coming in full of confidence. Our sliders always deliver. There’s depth there now too, not just a Lizzy, an Amy, or a Shelley.’
The 25th Winter Olympics officially begins on Friday – although curling started on Wednesday – and Britain has sent a team of 53 athletes. Ninety nations will compete over 17 days and few of the 3,000 competitors will have the motivation of the British alpine skier Dave Ryding.
The 39-year-old – looking to sign off with a first Games medal – will compete at his fifth and final Olympics, having announced he will retire at the end of the season.
Internationally, American skier Lindsey Vonn is adamant she will compete despite a serious knee injury in a recent crash, however Alcott has her mind on Ryding’s big finale.
She said: ‘Dave didn’t follow the pathway or have the financial background – he didn’t ski on snow until he was 14. His impact and his legacy goes far beyond any accolades. You can’t over-hype what he’s done for our sport.’
It will be all about the hammer and the sweep at the Cortina Curling Centre, where Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds began their tilt at mixed doubles glory last night. In the team events, skips Mouat and Sophie Jackson carry British hopes. In 2022, Team GB won women’s gold and men’s silver and Alcott believes Rhona Martin’s dramatic last-stone victory that won Britain gold against Switzerland back in 2002 acted as the catalyst for a cycle of success.
She added: ‘It seems like we become a curling nation every four years and everyone loves that – it is a sport we can all understand.
‘It’s very satisfying to participate in, it’s very easy to follow. Salt Lake City and Rhona’s last stone changed the game for curling in this country. Now every four years we tap back into that.’
On the ice, the wild-cards could be Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, the pair looking to win Britain’s first figure- skating gold since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean danced to glory with their legendary Bolero routine in 1984. Alcott, a competitor on Torvill and Dean’s ITV show Dancing on Ice in 2012, feels they will bring some colour to the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
She said: ‘Torvill and Dean did their last tour last year and wouldn’t it be a great passing-over of the baton to Lewis and Lilah?
‘They’re fun, they’re young, they’re hungry, they’re raw and Britain will celebrate their performances to the music of the Spice Girls!’
What we want, what we really, really want is a great Winter Games and it all kicks off with Friday’s opening ceremony at the famous San Siro in Milan.