Zak Carrick-Smith claimed Great Britain’s first ever alpine skiing medal at a Winter Olympic event – winning gold in the combined competition at the Youth Olympic Games.
The 16-year-old topped the podium in Gangwon, South Korea, ahead of Swedish pair Alexander Ax Swartz and Liam Liljenborg.
“It’s been amazing,” he said. “I obviously had dreams of taking a medal home, I think mainly in the technical events, but to win it in combined is unbelievable.”
It is Britain’s seventh Winter Youth Olympic medal and the third gold, after Madi Rowlands in the halfpipe and Ashleigh Pittaway in the skeleton at Lillehammer 2016.
Carrick-Smith’s mum, Emma Carrick-Anderson, competed in alpine skiing for Great Britain at four Winter Games between 1992 and 2002.
“She’s over the moon, probably even happier than I am,” added Carrick-Smith. “I think I saw her crying in the crowd, so she was very happy.”
