Skier Charlie Raposo believes the upcoming Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships could be the best yet as he looks to stake his claim for next year’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.

The 21-year-old has already enjoyed a stellar season with World Cup appearances on the snow, also taking sixth in the Junior World Championships' Giant Slalom just last week.

It’s that performance in particular which has given Chelsea's Raposo confidence, with the countdown to South Korea getting ever closer.

And the Shrewsbury-born skier is determined to hit greater heights after reaching sixth in the Giant Slalom in Tignes 12 months ago, while he will once again be competing in the slalom in the U21 competition.

“I’m really looking forward to it, it’s a brilliant race and it’s always fun to be able to go out to Tignes, British skiing is getting bigger and bigger every year so it’s a great opportunity for everyone. I’m sure it’s going to be one of the best yet,” he said.

“It hasn’t been a great season results wise, things have been going well in training but they haven’t always come out in races so that’s something to look at.

“I’ve just got back from the World Junior Championships with a strong placing in the Giant Slalom which I was really happy with, even though I couldn’t quite make a medal which would have been huge for British skiing.

“But the confidence is there, I’m skiing at the level of some really, really good skiers so it’s very encouraging for me at this part of the season.”

The Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships take place in the world-class ski resort of Tignes, France from 25th March to 7th April 2017.

The Championships are set to be the biggest event of the year for the British Ski racing world, looking to build on British Ski and Snowboard’s best season to date on the path to Pyeongchang.

But despite the pressure and expectation the British Championships hold, Raposo is keen not to do anything drastically different, maintaining faith in his ability on the slopes.

He added: “To me it’s all about treating it like any other event, it’s fantastic that we have British Championships and a chance to go out there and compete for international titles.

“There’s a great group of people competing and you know it’s never going to be a walk in the park, there are always people snapping at your heels and it’s great.

“You try not to think about what it means and just focus on yourself, try and be the best you can be and try to ignore any pressure that there might be around a race.

“I’ve got the confidence, I know my ability is there, it’s just about looking to push outside my comfort zone in races and putting everything on the line. Sometimes it pays off, others it doesn’t, that’s just the way it goes.”

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