Winter Olympics 2022 - Team GB's underdog athletes have to 'try that little bit more' says Billy Morgan
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Updated 04/02/2022 at 15:18 GMT
"Because we didn't grow up in on the snow, we didn't have as many opportunities as they did" - Former Team GB snowboarder and bronze medallist Billy Morgan says that the nation's underdog status means they have to try even harder to keep up with other nations at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
'As an underdog you have to go further' - Morgan on competing for Team GB at Winter Olympics
Billy Morgan says Team GB's underdog status means the athletes have to work even harder.
The pressure back home on Team GB is massive during the Summer Olympics but the Winter Games do not carry the same level of expectation.
With its mild climate and lowland geography, the culture around winter sports is not as strong in the United Kingdom, giving the nation an underdog status they do not enjoy at the Summer Games.
But the former Team GB snowboarder and bronze medallist believes this means the athletes have go a step further in their preparation.
"I don’t know if it helps," Morgan said on Eurosport's coverage of the opening ceremony. "I always felt like as an underdog you have to go that step further to keep up with the other nations if luck is a little bad.
"I would always go out in the morning and get that bit of extra practice in.
"Because we didn't grow up in the snow, we didn't have as many opportunities as they did, as the underdogs.
"So I always tried that little bit more."
And Amy Williams, who won gold in the skeleton in 2010, agrees that the pressure is always there on the athlete.
"Every athlete puts so much pressure on themselves to perform," she said. "They want to bring home that medal for them, their family and their team.
"A lot of money has gone into them as an athlete as well as physical and emotional investment, and you really want to bring home that medal.
"Ultimately you will always try and stand on that field of play and give it your best performance."
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