Oxfordshire's Barney Lewis will be going for glory in Bormio, Italy, when he competes in the English Championships, which start tomorrow.

Last year, Lewis, 18, won the under 18 title and now he is aiming to do it again in the under 21 men’s category.

Lewis, who will be watched by proud dad Paul – part of Snowsport England’s support team – says he can’t wait to get out to the Alps.

“I won it last time and hopefully I can do it again,” said Lewis, who hails from Bicester.

“There are individual events that you can win like the slalom, super G and the grand slalom, but my aim is to go for the lot – the whole shebang.”

Lewis, whose favourite discipline is the technically demanding slalom, is hoping he can get a few tips from top British slalom skier Dave Ryding.

He said: “I would love to emulate Dave. He’s won the Europa Cup, which is one down from the World Cup.

“I’ve been training with him for the last couple of weeks, so hopefully that will pay off.”

Lewis admits has been glued to the events of Sochi on television and was delighted when Jenny Jones won bronze (in the snowboard final).

He added: “I’ve definitely been watching it. I’m always interested to see how the British guys do.

“It was great to see Chemmy Alcott competing. To finish 19th (in the women’s downhill) is pretty impressive when you see how many injuries she has had.

“Thankfully, I have kept clear of serious injuries, so I have been progressing how I want.

“My target is still the winter Games in Pyeongchang (South Korea) in 2018.”

Lewis, a member of the England men’s alpine ski team, has been hard at work preparing for Bormio.

He added: “I’ve been racing in Switzerland where I managed to set a personal best, which was a great result.

“And I’m pretty confident I can do well over there.

“We ski all the year round and have a strenuous fitness schedule, which means I have only been home once since Christmas.”