Rest of British: Who else can lead the world a dance at the Winter Games?: Jilly Curry - Freestyle skiing

IN an event whose right to be called a sport is questioned by some because of its old ski-bum image, Britain has a potential medallist in Jilly Curry. The Londoner is unfortunate that her best chance would lie in the combined event, in which she has clocked up victories on the World Cup circuit, but which is not part of the Olympic programme. Instead, she must hope to be at her very best in the aerials, her strongest of the three freestyle disciplines as she proved by finishing fourth at the 1992 Games when it was only a demonstration sport.

Her standing in freestyle, which also includes moguls and ballet, was reflected in her third-place finish in the overall World Cup standings last season. She has abandoned ballet, because it is not an Olympic event this time. 'It makes a big difference,' the 31-year-old said. 'Now I get a day off during events to recuperate or train.'

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