Emily Harrop favourite to win gold for France after being eligible for Team GB

An athlete who was eligible to compete for Great Britain could be crowned the first Olympic champion in ski mountaineering at the foot of the storied Stelvio slope in Bormio on Thursday.

The fabled finish area for the men’s alpine events has been transformed into a helter-skelter course for the sport, which is appearing on the Games programme for the first time.

The Olympic version of ski mountaineering comprises three sections: a run up the Stelvio slope in special skis, a tough climb up a steeper incline in ski boots, and a slalom back down to the finish line.

The sport comprises three events – men’s, women’s, and a mixed team relay. Heats of the high-octane events can often last as little as three minutes.

The overwhelming favourite in the women’s event is Emily Harrop, who was born to English parents in Bourg Saint Maurice, and will represent France.

Harrop won the British Ski Championships in 2015 before switching to ski-mountaineering, known as ‘ski-mo’, due to injury. She has been crowned overall world champion for each of the last four years.

“Historically, France has always been a nation of ski mountaineers, so we’ve always had great athletes,” said the 28-year-old.

“Of course, the pressure is mounting a little bit. It’s Olympics, especially when you’re one of the favourites, let’s not try to hide it.

“But we’re already experiencing incredible things, and I think that takes away some of the pressure of seeing the Games like that.”