On 21st December 2010 the BOA announced that Andrew Musgrave had been selected as the Olympic Athlete of the year for skiing.

 

The BOA present a trophy to each of the summer and winter Olympic sports organisations for them to award annually to their top performing athlete of the year.  This is the first time a cross-country skier has been awarded the trophy by the governing body for British skiing and snowboarding.  These are some of the achievements which led to Andrew receiving the award :

 

In the last year Andrew has produced the best results on record of any British cross-country skier.  In the run up to the Olympic Games in Canada his world ranking earned Britain a second allocation for the men's events.

 

His 15 km time trial race at the Olympics was the best result of any British cross-country skier at any Olympics, and his 30 km pursuit race was the 3rd best all time British cross-country result.  His leg of the team sprint was an inspiration and was the third fastest of the day.

 

On returning to Europe from the Olympics he won the Norwegian Junior Championship race (a feat the Norwegians can scarcely believe happened) missing out on being awarded the actual Championship trophy only by being the wrong nationality.

 

He has started this season where he left off last year, coming 52nd from 104 starters in the first World Cup of the year and in doing so producing the best British result in any international level cross-country race (World Cup, World Championship or Olympic Games).  The following week he went to Meraaker in Norway to compete in the first of this season's Norwegian Cup races where he placed 6th in a world class field, surpassing his own British record for international (FIS) points.

 

He is a fantastic ambassador for British sport and sportsmanship in Norway and Sweden.  The Scandinavians are so taken with him that he has become a minor celebrity.  As Britain's leading cross-country skier he is also a great leader of the other skiers and is prepared to take on all challenges in a fun and enjoyable manner which spreads to those around him.