Brit Ryding targets golden double after making World Cup history

WITH an extra £80,000 in his bank and a load off his mind, Dave Ryding is heading for the Winter Olympics at considerable speed after making history in Kitzbuhel, Austria at the weekend. In a delightful and quite unlikely sporting tale, Ryding, the son of a market trader who learned to ski on a dry slope in Lancashire, became the first Brit to win a gold medal at the

Alpine World Cup on Saturday. In conquering the most prestigious slalom race on the circuit, and simultaneously becoming the oldest winner of a World Cup event at 35, Ryding picked up by far the biggest payday of his career. ‘I’m fortunate now since I’ve been in the top 15 to make a living,’ said Ryding (right). ‘I’m no footballer. The footballers earn more in a week than I do in a year. I’m not complaining. If you are going to win one for prize money it is Kitzbuhel. I am a tight a*** so I don’t know what I’ll spend it on.’ More significantly, Ryding has picked up serious momentum going into his fourth Olympics, which start in

Beijing a week on Friday. He was ninth in Pyeonghang four years ago but after winning in Kitzbuhel he will be seen as an outside shot at a medal in one of the Games’ showpiece disciplines. ‘Obviously I’ve shown how good I am this year,’ said Ryding, who has had three previous podium finishes since joining the circuit in 2009. ‘You win a World Cup three weeks before the Olympics it’s natural for everyone to talk. ‘The pressure and expectation will have ramped up but I won’t be defined by an Olympics. I’ve had an amazing career in Alpine skiing that I’ve been proud of. To win one, it’s taken the weight off my shoulders. ‘No question I’ll be expecting myself to ski well but whatever happens I can go home knowing I’ve got a World Cup victory.’