British 2018/19 Cross Country Squads Confirmed
The past season saw breakthrough results for the British Cross Country Team and with the announcement of the squads for 2018/19, there is the anticipation of more great performances just around the corner.
Last season Andrew Musgrave earned a World Cup podium and Britain’s highest-ever individual Olympic cross country result, while Andrew Young and James Clugnet combined for ninth in a World Cup team sprint event.
The trio have been selected in the Elite Squad alongside Nichole Bathe who made her World Cup debut and also represented Great Britain at the Under 23 World Championships after transferring from the US team.
Young, Clugnet and Bathe all competed at the Blink Festival rollerski event in Sandnes, Norway last weekend. The trio recorded impressive results in an event which more than half of Norway’s television viewers were tuned in to, another step on the way to making their mark this season.
“Everyone in the elite squad has more than earned their place through their performances in competition and also the dedication they have shown in training and preparation,” said national coaches Jostein Vinjerui and Hans Kristian Stadheim, the pair continuing their association with the British squad after a successful first season.
“Muzzy’s performances in 2017/18 proved he is one of the top cross country skiers in the world and he’ll again lead the squad this season.
“Andrew Young had some interruptions to his season but still earned an individual top 10 in the opening stage of the Tour de Ski. James Clugnet is still only 21 but showed his potential when he combined with Youngy for a top 10 at the World Cup in Dresden and he could be knocking on the door of the top 30 in more World Cup sprint events next season.
“Nichole Bathe made her first appearance on the senior international stage last season and she now has a taste of what it takes to make it at that level. She’s extremely dedicated and we’re confident she’ll make further strides now she’s in the elite squad and hopefully the results will follow.”
The Performance Squad is made up this season of 2018 Olympians Annika Taylor and Callum Smith while Oliver Newman, Beinn Horsfall and Alexander Franks-Penty have been selected to the Junior Squad.
The 2018/19 FIS World Cup gets underway in November in Finland with other season highlights including the Tour de Ski, the World Championships in Austria, Junior World Championships in Finland and European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
2018/19 BRITISH CROSS COUNTRY ELITE SQUAD
Nichole Bathe (23, Madison, Wisconsin USA), James Clugnet (21, Grenoble FRA), Andrew Musgrave (28, Oyne, Aberdeenshire SCO), Andrew Young (26, Huntly, Aberdeenshire SCO)
2018/19 BRITISH CROSS COUNTRY PERFORMANCE SQUAD
Callum Smith (25, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire SCO), Annika Taylor (25, Truckee, California USA)
2018/19 BRITISH CROSS COUNTRY JUNIOR SQUAD
Alexander Franks-Penty (16, Hvalstad NOR), Beinn Horsfall (16, Quaix-En-Chartreuse FRA), Oliver Newman (19, Huntly, Aberdeenshire SCO)
Team Manager/National Coach: Jostein Vinjerui
Head Endurance Performance Coach: Hans Kristian Stadheim
