HARPENDEN skier Max Baggio has been selected to represent Great Britain in the upcoming season, which includes the 2014 Winter Olympics.
17-year-old Baggio is the youngest – and only newcomer – of a 10-athlete team that was chosen for the FIS Europa Cup squad based on potential to win medals either now or in the future.
As the youngest athlete selected, this is a massive achievement for the talented skier, although not a surprising one.
The Roundwood Park student has just completed the stand-out season of his short career to date, representing Team GB at the European Youth Olympic Games amd winning multiple junior titles at the British Alpine Championships in France.
“It’s great to have been selected to the EC Squad and make the move up towards the World Cup,” he said.
“I am keen to keep improving and follow in the footsteps of guys like Dave Ryding and the rest of the British Senior team. “It’s been a great season and one that I will remember because I hit all of my goals, but there’s plenty more that I have still got to achieve.
“It will be a tough task for me next season to compete at this level, but I’m up for the challenge and I can’t wait to get stuck in to pre season training once my exams are over.”
The Europa Cup is a one step below the World Cup Circuit and seen as a battleground for those looking to reach the top of the sport. Many top British Skiers have competed on the circuit over the past few seasons, including current British Champion Douglas Crawford, Ryding and TJ Baldwin.
Last season Ryding became the first British athlete to win the Europa Cup Slalom Series, finishing the season ahead of many world class athletes and paving the way for athletes like Baggio to follow.
Baggio will be spending the summer months sitting his AS Level exams at Roundwood Park before continuing training on dry land and the glaciers of Europe before flying off to Chile to prepare for next season with his training group, Team Evolution.
Max will also be present at Team Evolution’s Open Summer Camps taking place in July and August at The Snowcentre, Hemel. The concept, which sees Team Evolution offers the opportunity for skiers from the local area to come and try their hand at ski racing, aims to increase participation and find new talent within the region that has produced many top names including 2010 Olympic skier Ed Drake.
Paul Telling, Junior Team Coach at Team Evolution said: “Max has had an excellent season and deserves the selection to the British FIS Europa Cup Team. We had a clear set of objectives 24 months ago and Max has worked hard to meet or exceed these, clearly showing him as the best skier of his age in the country. His athletic talent combined with his work ethic means that he will continue to progress, and hopefully next season will be full of similar highlights.”
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