Andrew Musgrave believes it’s now or never to land an elusive medal at a Winter Olympics after he was selected for his fourth Games in Beijing.
The Oyne skier, who will be joined by Andrew Young and James Clugnet – both graduates of Snowsport Scotland’s base in Huntly – in a three-strong cross-country skiing squad, has raised the bar since relocating to Norway a decade ago to plunge full-time into the sport.
Seventh in PyeongChang in 2018, he has seen Young steal the spotlight with two World Cup podiums this winter.
But experience, the 31-year-old claims, can finally push him towards the podium when he hits China next month.
“I’m definitely getting towards the end of my time where a medal is likely,” he underlines. “And so definitely, it feels like I’ve got to go fast this time.”
He was among 18 skiers and three snowboarders selected to represent the UK at the Beijing Games on Friday.
The Caledonian contingent includes Kirsty Muir, the 17-year-old free skier from Aberdeen who has risen from Youth Olympic silver medallist in 2020 to outside bet for a medal in the Slopestyle and Big Air.
Plus alpine skiiers Charlie Guest, an Aberdeen University student, and Torphins’ Alex Tilley, with both bound for their second Games off top-15 results on the World Cup circuit this season.
Musgrave will undertake cross-country three distance races over 15, 30 and 50 kilometres. The longer the better, he insists.
“The 30 and the 50 are definitely my best chances. The older you get, the better you get at long distance. And after doing a few Games, I’m definitely getting to the long end of things now.”
"The Olympics is massive for us, cross-country skiing isn't the biggest sport in the UK, but every four years we get the chance to showcase the sport in front of the entire country!" – @musgraveandrew #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/1Y24F9cLYO
— GB Snowsport (@GBSnowsport) January 21, 2022
But he learnt from four years ago when he went to South Korea as a contender to excel and fell short, the victim of illness in the second half of the Games which knocked him off his stride in a test of extreme endurance at sub-zero.
“I wasn’t badly ill,” he reveals.
“It was just a wee bit of a cold. But just at the top level of sport, if you have a slight one per cent decrease in performance, then you just tumble down the results list.
“The whole hygiene thing isn’t going to be so much of an issue this year with Covid. So I think that’ll take care of itself.
“But it’s just about making sure you’re super-cautious with everything you do. And everything is performance-based. So I definitely learned a wee bit from that – just about the small details of things you do while you’re at the Games.”
A proud Scot, Musgrave concedes he has gone a little native at his Norwegian base where the snow throughout the whole winter offers him the environment needed to train even on a Christmas Day.
He added: “Sometimes I’m a little bit troubled, like if there’s like a Norway versus Britain – and it’s a Norwegian that I know in some sort of sporting event – I’m a little bit torn as to who to cheer for.”
In Beijing, his colours will be pinned firmly to one mast.
“I’m definitely a Brit at heart,” he adds.
