AS THE winter sport season begins to draw to a close, Basingstoke ski star Laurie Taylor has his eyes set on one final hurrah with a podium finish at next week’s Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships.

This season has been one to remember for 21-year-old Taylor, having competed at both the senior and junior World Ski Championships as well as making his long-awaited World Cup debut.

The British Championships return to the French Alps on March 25, bringing the top names of British Alpine skiing together for two weeks of racing.

And while Taylor insists it’s podium or bust when he pulls on his skis, he also has a much simpler goal he is keen to achieve.

“I’m pretty excited to get out to Tignes. It’s coming to the end of the season very quickly now and the British Championships are always one of the later races,” he said. “The season has gone really quick, but I can’t wait to get started in France.

“I’m definitely eyeing a podium finish this year, but we’ll see how it goes. Last year, I finished second in the slalom, but I’ve got a history of crashing and not finishing, but I’m certainly looking to change that.

“One of my main aims has to be just to get across the finish line in all the races that I do. I love competing at this level. The event is always really good and Tignes is a great resort.

“We always have a lot of good fun and I really enjoy racing with all the British guys again.

The 2017 Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships will see athletes from the Delancey British Alpine Senior Squad, including one of the best slalom skiers in the world, Dave Ryding.

The 2016/17 season has seen remarkable results for Britain’s winter sport stars, with medals galore being won on the snow as attentions turn to next year’s Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, including Ryding winning Britain’s firs alpine World Cup medal since 1981 with silver.

And as he continues his rise up the skiing rankings, Taylor – who trains in Lofer, Austria – is determined to push on from a stellar campaign on the slopes himself.

“I’ve dropped my points a lot this season and have made some definite improvements, so I’m happy with how the year has gone,” he said.

“I got to compete at my first World Championships, my first World Cup, and first junior World Championships.

“I’m pretty happy with the way I am skiing, and how the season has gone so far.”

To follow the Delancey British Alpine Ski Team visit www.teambss.org.uk or follow @teambss on Twitter. As Principal Sponsor of British Ski and Snowboard, specialist real estate investment and advisory company Delancey is proud to be able to support British athletes – visit www.delancey.com