Lancashire skier Dave Ryding sets his sights on Winter Olympics in Beijing

He's already made World Cup history - now Lancashire skier Dave Ryding has his sights set on the Winter Olympics.

The 35-year-old slalom specialist is one of 3,000 athletes from 91 nations who'll compete in Beijing, and will be hoping to get his hands on one of the 109 medals on offer.

His historic win in the World Cup slalom in Kitzbuhel just weeks before the start of the Olympics means there are high hopes for the star, with the pressure for another podium already at height.

Dave celebrates his win at the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbuhel, Austria in January 2022. Credit: PA

Speaking before he headed out to Beijing he said that expectations for a win are high.

He said: "It took me 97 World Cups to win one, now everyone is expecting the next thing to be the Olympics so the expectation is high, but I've shown that I can do it, and it also shows me that the way I am skiing is working so I don't need to change anything.

"I have dealt with it before. It's my fourth Olympics - anything could happen."

Dave with Granada Reports Correspondent Victoria and his World Cup trophy.

In the meantime, he's enjoyed a few precious days at home in Lancashire, where he's been able to share his win with his family and catch up on life at his cafe in Tarleton, Boskins.

"It's great to be home and see my family and my fiance Mandy," he said. "I just wanted to come back here and have a coffee and a cake - this is my normality!"

Dave at Pendle Ski Club in Lancashire, where he took his first lesson aged 6. Credit: PA

Reflecting on his win, he said: "I have had a great career and done more than I have ever dreamed of - more than anyone has achieved before.

"It's a relief to know that for Mandy and my parents at home watching. It's the first British alpine world cup victory ever, so their sacrifices have been for something.

"Hopefully I have encouraged a whole new wave of kids and shown them what's possible if you work hard.

"Now I don't have to talk, I can just say 'that's what you can achieve from a little dry slope in Lancashire, living in Costa del Tarleton'."

The trophy depicts a traditional Austrian mountain chamois animal known as Gamse.

Dave is planning to display his trophies, including his World Cup gold, in Boskins so that ski fans can enjoy them too.

And he has no plans to retire just yet. "I would be mad not to do another year when I'm in such good shape," he said. "But I would like to bring more enjoyment to my racing because it's stressful - the pressure to perform is tough.

"I think I've bought myself another year but Mandy and I are getting married in May so I need to do something to help with that, because she's done it all so far!"

Beijing 2022

The 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony will be held on Friday in Beijing. Credit: AP

Beijing 2022 is the second Olympics to take place during the Covid-19 pandemic, so there will be no spectators, friends or family present in the stands.

All Games participants will have to take daily PCR tests and must stay in a strict system area for the entirety of the Olympics.

Face masks are mandatory, except for during competition and training, and when eating and drinking, or alone in rooms.

Alpine ski events will be held in Yanqing. Zhangjiakou, 180km from Beijing, will host events including freestyle skiing and snowboarding. Credit: PA

The alpine skiing events will take place in Yanqing, 75km out of Beijing. The area will also host bobsleigh, skeleton and luge.

Artificial snow has been used across all venues, with an estimated 222.8 million litres of water used to produce the fake snow in Yanqing alone.

Dave's slalom event takes place on February 16.