SIX months of tough gym training has propelled NatWest Jersey bobsleigh duo Will Golder and Kevan Crowell to their best-ever placing at the British Championships in Italy.

The pair, who set out to improve on last year’s 12th position, finished eighth, behind teams dominated by full-time athletes and Britain’s top bobsleigh competitors. Under the guidance of former Olympic bobsleigh competitor Colin Campbell, Golder and Crowell now hope to break into the Great Britain Europa Cup squad.

Crowell said: ‘I think we’ve been accepted as a competitive nation now and the British coaches have seen what we can do – we were up there with the British squad members, if not beating them – so we’re now waiting to hear back from them to see if they will take us in the GB development squad, which could mean going to St Moritz and back to Cesana for the Europa Cup.’

To give themselves the best opportunity on a very difficult track in Cesana – built for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics – Golder and Crowell spent four days ahead of the Championships at a weekend bob school.
Training alongside them were many members of the British squad, preparing for a long season of Europa and World Cup events, as well as the Worlds at Lake Placid in February.

• Picture: Kevan Crowell and driver Will Golder power the Jersey bobsleigh down the course