GB Skiers & Snowboarders Selected for Winter European Youth Olympics
22nd January 2025
A squad of 20 from Great Britain is heading to the 2025 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in Georgia next month. The athletes will be among 1,600 from 48 countries. NEW
The competition takes place in Bakuriani from 9 to 16 February.
There are 8 sports on the programme and the GB youngsters – all aged 14 to 17 – will take part in 7 of them.
- Alpine Skiing
- Cross County Skiing
- Freestyle Skiing
- Freestyle Snowboard
- Biathlon
- Figure Skating
- Short Track Speed Skating
The announcement of the squad was made today by The British Olympic Association.
Fifteen of the 20 selected will compete in snowsport disciplines.
Alpine Skiing
Emily Turner, 17, Crowthorne – Berkshire
Freddy Carrick-Smith, 17, Savoie – France
Hamish Blyth, 16, Stirling – Scotland
Tabitha Milkins, 17, Bristol – England
Tia Freshwater, 16, Inverness – Scotland
Toby Stephen, 17, Chertsey – Surrey
Zak Carrick-Smith, 17, Savoie – France
Cross-Country
Elspeth Cruickshank, 17, Insch – Aberdeenshire
Ewan McAdam, 17, Lochgelly – Fife
Rasmus Ipsen, 17, Stornoway – Aberdeenshire, Outer Hebrides
Sophie Forth, 17, Huntly – Aberdeenshire
Freestyle Ski
Artemii Teplov, 17, Peacehaven – East Sussex
Sandra Gabriela Caune, 16, Ellon – Aberdeenshire
Freestyle Snowboard
Emily Rothney, 16, Carrbridge – Highlands
Roahan Duncan, 16, Dundee
Biathlon
Isla Cadell, 16, Prince George – Canada
Figure Skating
Edward Solovyov, 15, Cramlington – Northumberland
Leilah Patten, 14, Sheffield – South Yorkshire
Short Track Speed Skating
Albert (Albie) Barlow, 16, Guildford – Surrey
Savi Buffey, 15, Hull – East Yorkshire
European Youth Olympic Festivals (EYOFs) play an important role in the development of young British athletes, providing crucial multi-sport event experience and guiding them towards realising their Olympic ambitions.
Bakuriani has recently hosted a number of winter sport events and was the venue where Great Britain’s Mia Brookes won her maiden snowboard slopestyle world title at the 2023 Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships.
GB’s Mia Brookes,2023 World Champion in snowboard slopestyle celebrates with her coach. Image © Mateusz Kielpinski/FIS
Snowboarder Emily Rothney, who comes into this EYOF on the back of first and third place results at recent European Cups, was thrilled to have made the squad.
“I’m really excited to be selected for Team GB. I can’t wait to get out there, meet all my teammates and start learning,” she said.
“I’ve been trying lots of new skills and jumps this season, and it’s found me some success. This event gives me a fantastic opportunity to continue that and fully immerse myself in something new with sports and athletes I’ve not been around before.”
The squad also features multiple athletes who return after representing Team GB in Gangwon at the 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games.
Cross-country skiers Elspbeth Cruickshank, Sophie Forth and alpine racer Zak Carrick-Smith all took to the snow in South Korea.
Zak Carrick-Smith at the Youth Winter Olympics in 2024. Photo Credit: Sam Mellish / Team GB
Zak Carrick-Smith later made sporting history as he secured Britain’s first ever alpine gold medal at an Olympic event – a feat which he backed up with a further gold and silver.
He will be joined in Bakuriani by his twin brother, Freddy.
“It will be the first time many of our young athletes experience the Olympic movement and is an invaluable opportunity for them to develop in an international competition of this level,” said Charlie Burn, Team GB’s Chef de Mission for Bakuriani 2025.
“While it may be many of the athletes’ first exposure to a multi-sport event environment, we are also excited to welcome back three of the team from Gangwon 2024.
“Team GB has a great history of youth athletes taking part in an EYOF and going on to become senior Olympians, so it will be great to support our athletes as they use Bakuriani 2025 as a foundation for development at future Games.
“We hope that the 2025 edition of the Winter EYOF will continue to build on the success of recent events.”
This year’s British delegation follows in the footsteps of Katie Summerhayes, Niall Treacy, Chemmy Alcott, Kirsty Muir, Charlie Guest and many others who represented Team GB at youth events before going on to compete at a senior Olympic Winter Games.
Guest, who competed at an EYOF in 2009 for Team GB, went on to become a two-time Olympian, competing at the PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Games.
Charlie Guest at 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics – photo © David Pearce/Team GB
She will take on the role of Athlete Ambassador for Bakuriani, offering advice and support as the athletes come together as one Team GB.
Guest, who was recently elected to the BOA’s Athlete Commission, said she was proud to be named as the Athlete Ambassador.
“I have always been very passionate about sport and Team GB is such an incredibly special team. To have the chance to hopefully inspire and pass on knowledge to the next generation is something that I am really looking forward to.
“Having competed at an EYOF myself back in 2009, I know just how these athletes are feeling. So, I’ll be looking to give them some useful information to make sure they can best use this opportunity to further their careers.”
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