Max Laughland from Tenterden has been selected for the 2021/22 GB Alpine FIS squad.

The squad are selected from the home nations to represent Great Britain internationally.

Laughland, 16, became eligible for selection as a result of his competing performance this past ski season in Europe.

He is a lower sixth pupil at Sutton Valence School who have been very supportive since he started there three years ago, allowing him time away to follow his passion.

It was touch and go whether he was going to make the grade following a late start to the season after contracting Covid-19 and suffering a back injury. He was holed up in a hotel in Austria for 10 days before facing another two weeks of quarantine when he returned to the UK.

He was back on the circuit in February but had already missed out on some important training.

He only managed to get up to speed at the end of the season when he was competing at the Austrian National Championships in Super G, scoring two excellent results and scoring the appropriate FIS (Federation of international Skiing) points which ebatbed him to qualify for selection to the GB squad.

Summer training takes place in either Chile or South Africa and Laughland is keen on attracting sponsors to help finance his sporting career, which is largely self-financed.