Katie Ormerod will certainly need to embrace that snowboarders’ motto of ‘going big or going home’ after taking a first peak her Winter Olympic playground.
The former World Cup champion is considered one of Team GB’s hottest medal prospects in this weekend’s snowboard slopestyle - and admitted the ‘huge’ course at the Genting Snow Park had her jittering with nerves and excitement.
Slopestyle invokes skiers and snowboarders taking on a gravity defying plunge on course pitted with rails and jumps, grinding, spinning, flipping and grabbing as they go.
And crashing too, as Ormerod, 24, knows all too well.
Four years ago Olympic training couldn’t have gone worse. On the first day she fractured her wrist and 24 hours later she broke her heel, leaving her in a year-long battle just to walk pain-free.
However, Ormerod insists she won’t be holding back ahead of three official days of training before this weekend’s competitions, where temperatures are expected to plummet to -20 degrees.
“The course is the biggest thing I’ve ever seen and it’s going to be such fun,” said Ormerod, whose definition of fun may be rather different to most. “I’ve never seen anything like it before, it’s just spectacular.
“It was pretty scary when I saw it for the first time, I was like ‘wow this course is … big’. It’s the Olympics, it should be bigger and better than any other competition we do.
“It was amazing to get out there finally and have a proper inspection, it’s getting pretty real now. I feel more confident having seen it, I’ve got a few ideas for tackling it already and can’t wait to get out there training and competing.
“The snow is also amazing, it’s much better than I thought and it’s running really nicely under my board. It’s just very, very cold and you need to get as many layers on as you can.
“I’ve had so many contests since PyeongChang, I know what happened there is a massive part of my story and journey but I genuinely don’t think about it anymore. I’ve got too many positives to focus on.
“I’ve not being distracted by any external expectations either, my mindset is just focussing on my performance and that’s the mental headspace I need to be successful.”
But Ormerod’s performances mean expectations are high - few are considered more medal worthy in the 50-strong British team here in China. In a Games where the snow is fake, though it did lightly flutter some real stuff yesterday, she is no false hope.
Two years ago she became the first British snowboarder to win a Crystal Globe, finishing the season with five podiums in a remarkable display of consistency.
But she also knows the Olympics is a snap shot of form that can sometimes mean the world’s best have their nose pressed to the window.
“To become a World Cup champion is probably tougher as you need to be on the podium at every contest, that why it’s equal with the Olympic Games in my eyes,” added Ormerod, whose exploits in Beijing will be broadcast live on discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport app.
“The Olympics are huge and it’s one of the only medals I’ve never won but winning the Crystal Globe is by far the biggest thing I’ve ever achieved, because of how I came back from my injury.
“I sometimes take it out and put in on the mantelpiece for special occasions, an Olympic medal up the other end would be just perfect though.”
Ormerod has been busy collecting Games memorabilia to take home to Grandad Trevor, who proudly fills scrapbook after scrapbook with stories of her improbable rise from the dry slopes of Halifax to the peak of her sport.
Get that elusive medal this weekend and he may have to buy a lot of glue.
Watch All the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 live on discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport app
