DAVE Ryding will be flying solo for Britain when he begins his first run down the Sochi slopes next month.

The 27-year-old Pendle Ski Club ace is the only male skier selected in Team GB having also been in the squad for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Ryding will compete in the slalom event and will hope that a series of impressive results over the past two years will give him a chance of improving on his 27th place finish four years ago.

Ryding said: “It’s a great feeling to be represented to select Team GB in Sochi, after four years of hard work since the last Olympics I look forward to putting my best skiing out there on the day of the race.”

Colne’s Ryding first took to the slopes aged just six when he followed his dad Carl down to Pendle Ski Club.

And with his mum Shirley also a keen skier, Ryding admits that he was following in something of a family tradition in taking up the sport.

“If I wanted to go on the family holidays I had to be able to ski,” said Ryding, “So I started skiing when I was about six to make sure I could go.”