TJ Baldwin, from Tharston, will be competing in the World Alpine Ski Championships over the next two weeks after he has just been confirmed as the new British number one in Giant Slalom (GS).

He moved up from his previous ranking of four after two excellent GS race results in December and January.

He finished eighth in a North American Cup race in Canada just before Christmas, scoring the best world ranking points score in GS by a British male skier in two years.

He followed this up with an 11th place in another International GS race in Austria last month.

These results and his number one status in both GS & Super Combined mean that he was selected as part of the four-man team to compete at the championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

TJ, 20, is the youngest member of the GB Senior team but will be racing in four of the five disciplines at the World Championships, more than any other member of the team.

He starts his quest in the Super G, followed by the Downhill, Super Combined and finally the GS.

TJ said: 'I am absolutely delighted to be selected to race at the World Champs. It was one of my goals for this season as was getting to be GB number one in more than one event.'

'The World Champs are second only to the Olympics so the races are going to be really tough with the very best skiers competing.

'I will have to go at 100 per cent in every race without any mistakes,' he added.

'I'm hoping that I can get some good results to improve my world rankings, but my main aim is to get a top 30 result in either Super Combined or Super G.'

Despite TJ competing at these championships and being number one in Britain for two disciplines he recieves no funding fom UK Sports and has to rely totally on sponsorship from Sunfold Systems of Wymondham, Chillspeed of Diss and a grant from the Norfolk Sports & Cultural Foundation.