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The Team GB chef de mission for the Winter Olympics next year, Eve Muirhead, has said it would be unfair to set a medal target for Britain’s athletes in Milano-Cortina.
Muirhead was part of the women’s curling team that claimed Britain’s only gold medal at Beijing in 2022. Alongside a solitary silver for the men’s curlers, the total fell below the UK Sport target of three to seven medals for the Games.
Now Muirhead believes expectations should be centred on allowing athletes to compete without undue pressure. “Winter sports are very unpredictable,” she said.
“There are such small margins between winning and losing on the winter stage. But we don’t put numbers on it, I think it would be unfair to put that pressure on the athletes. They will perform the best they can. If they come away with a smile on their face, then that’s good.
“You look at Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang [in 2018], it was the best medal returns that we’ve had – five medals at each of those Games. Yes, Beijing, we were at the bottom of the UK Sport’s medal range, but it was held in that Covid environment. It didn’t help preparations. We don’t set medal targets and we never have. It would be unfair to do that. It would be unfair to put that pressure on the athlete.”
With a year to go before the Games begin, Muirhead expects Team GB to take about 50 athletes to Italy, qualification depending. She is enthused by the prospect of Milan and Cortina’s four geographical “clusters” of activity and remains positive that the rebuilding of the 100-year-old sliding track in Cortina will be completed in time, with Lake Placid in the US acting as a backup venue.
“It’s very much an alpine skiing winter feel, they have World Cup events yearly, and I think that is just perfect for a Winter Olympics,” Muirhead said of the location. “For us in Great Britain, we’re only an hour time change away, so I think it will be great for viewing at home and for spectators to get out there. We’ve got a huge opportunity from it being on our doorstep.”
Of the sliding, Muirhead said she had recently discussed progress with the Games’ organising committee. “I had a call a couple of weeks ago and they are doing monthly checks on the sliding and all is up to speed and up to date. There is still some work to do on it but they are still very positive come the next check in mid-February.
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“We’re following the organising committee’s advice and right now we’re all focused on sliding being in Cortina. If that does change then we go with it and it’s all hands on deck to make that work, but right now it’s looking very positive for it to continue being in Cortina and we’ll keep a close eye on it.”
