EYOWF: Clissold hoping to call on French skills in Liberec

From Ben Baker, Sportsbeat, in Liberec

SAM Clissold has admitted to a few butterflies ahead of his major international bow at the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Liberec - but he's keeping his fingers crossed he takes to the competition like a moth to a flame.

STAGE FRIGHT: Alpine skier Sam Clissold admits he will have to overcome a bout of nerves ahead of his Olympic bow at the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival

The 15-year-old, who is based in Flaine, France, is one of 15 Brits making the trip to combat the Europe's finest as more than 1500 athletes from 44 nations convene for the biennial tournament.

Clissold is used to competing on the continent however and having upped sticks from Yorkshire four years ago has spent extended spells in France and Austria as he hones his slalom and giant slalom skills.

Top-six finishes in two Italian national junior races last month are testament to Clissold's future potential and he's also been treated to a GB training camp in Colorado this season.

The European Youth Olympic Winter Festival will represent the acid test for Clissold however but as he prepares to take his first step on the Olympic ladder he's relishing the challenge.

"I'm really excited because this is going to be my first major international event," said Clissold. "And because of that I am a little bit nervous about it but hopefully things will go well.

"I've been competing in Switzerland and Slovenia recently but this will be a lot bigger than anything I've done before.

"The fact that it's got an Olympic feel to it makes it a more prestigious event and because of that there will be a lot of good skiers from across Europe but I'm hoping to do well and learn from the experience."

It's hardly surprising that Clissold's strengths lie in the technical events and already in his fledgling career slalom has proved to be his stand-out discipline.

For having been schooled in the French academy system, he has followed in the ski tracks of a host of French Olympic champions including Jean-Claude Killy and Jean-Pierre Vidal.

But Clissold revealed that he could spring a few surprises in the giant slalom competition in Liberec.

"In the past slalom has always been my best event but more recently I've really improved my giant slalom," he added.

"I don't know if it has much to do with having spent some time in the French system but I did think to myself that my giant slalom wasn't good enough and I really wanted to improve it - hopefully that will show in the Czech Republic."

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