Three London athletes worth following in the winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics officially start today in Beijing with a spectacular opening ceremony directed by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Zhang Yimou. What better way to console yourself through chilly weather than by revelling in the delights of snow sports: from the glamour of ice-skating to the whimsy of curling to the sheer daredevilry of bobsledding. And you can make them even more exciting by rooting for some of London's own Olympic legends, raised in a borough near you. 

Montell Douglas 

Lewisham's own Montell Douglas is a 36-year-old bobsleigh athlete who's making history this year by being the first British woman in nearly a hundred years to have competed in both Summer and Winter Olympics. She started out as a sprinter famed for her prowess at the 100 metres. And now, she's famed for her prowess in the terrifyingly fast sport of two woman bobsleigh. Watch her speed her way to (hopeful) success on Friday 18th - Saturday 19th February. 

Lilah Fear

Raised in Notting Hill, 22-year-old Lilah Fear is a figure skater with an impressive array of medals to her name, including being 2018 Bavarian Open champion and four-time British national champion. She'll be partnering with Lewis Gibson as part of this year's British figure skating squad: tune in for glitzy costumes and gravity-defying dance moves. 

Nick Gleeson

Epsom-born Nick Gleeson became Team GB's youngest Olympic bobsledder when he competed at PyeongChang in 2018, at the age of 21. Now, he's back for a second bite of the ice lolly, and this time he's competing in two events: both the four-man team and the two-man team. He squeezes in his career as a professional bobsledder alongside serving as a British Paratrooper: perfect inspiration for anyone looking to take their side hustle to formidable new heights.

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