Lloyd Wallace: Freestyle aerial skier in best-ever form for Beijing 2022 qualification

Lloyd Wallace recovered from a serious head injury to make his debut at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Team GB's sole freestyle aerial skiing representative, Lloyd Wallace, says his confidence is "through the roof" and he remains on track to secure a spot at his second Winter Olympics in February.

Wallace, 26, made his Olympic debut in 2018, becoming Britain's first male aerial skier to qualify in 20 years.

He finished 20th in Pyeongchang after recovering from a serious head injury in training to compete.

"I'm in the best form of my life," Wallace told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

"I've had the best summer of my life, last season was the best season I've ever had and I just think I'm in a really good place physically and mentally to just give it a crack and really go for it."

Wallace, from Semley, Wiltshire, took a two-year break following the Games in South Korea before returning to training and competition in 2020.

He finished third at the European Cup in Switzerland in March and achieved a high-point of ninth at the World Cup round in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a few weeks later.

But this summer Wallace remained without national governing body funding and was unsure if he would be able to continue towards the Beijing Games in February 2022.

However, in October, UK Sport announced an additional grant of £6,000 for the freestyle aerial skiing discipline and that, along with private sponsorship Wallace secured, has enabled him to keep going.

"I'm in a bit of a minor sport and I'm actually the only one who competes in GB at the moment, which is a real shame, and it has been really tough in funding over the years," he continued.

"I'm very fortunate that the National Lottery is supporting me now and I've managed to get a bit more support from other places as well to help me on my season and really give this a proper crack.

"I'm just very thankful to be able to do it and be able to represent GB and my country and my family."

Lloyd Wallace won Britain's first aerials gold at the 2015 Europa Cup in Switzerland

Olympic family

Wallace's Olympic debut in Pyeongchang made him the latest in a long line of family members to have competed in a Games.

His grandfather, Peter Curry, competed at the 1948 London Olympics in the 3000m steeplechase; his uncle, Shaun Wallace, competed in track cycling in Los Angeles in 1984 and Atlanta 12 years later; his father, Robin Wallace competed at the 1988 winter Games in Calgary and was a freestyle skier; while his mother, Jilly Curry, competed at the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics in freestyle skiing.

Wallace was a gymnast as a teenager before taking up aerial skiing.

In March this year, he became the first Briton to perform and land a 'full double full full' - a quadruple twisting triple backflip - in competition.

"In the last event I overcame a bit of a hurdle. I did my new trick from last season, I performed early this season and I nailed the take off and burned the landing" he said.

"It's given me a lot of confidence going forward going into the year and into Olympic year.

"Getting a couple under my belt, it just means my confidence is going through the roof and I'm looking to see how far I can take it."

Wallace will next be competing in Quebec, Canada before travelling to Utah in the United States where he will close out his Winter Olympics qualification.

After that he has a training camp planned in Switzerland before the Games begin.

"I've got a couple of new tricks that I've got up my sleeve that I'm hoping to do this week," he added.

"Taking those into January and then the Olympics in February will put me in a really good position to compete with the top spots."