DAVE Ryding’s continued World Cup slalom success is “debunking the myth” that Great Britain cannot compete in traditional alpine disciplines, according to the British Ski and Snowboard Association performance director Dan Hunt.

Having won silver in Kitzbuhel in January, Ryding missed out on becoming the nation’s first alpine World Cup gold medallist in history when he crashed out midway down his second run in Finland on Sunday, when leading.

But Ryding, along with cross-country skier Andrew Musgrave, have impressed enough to head to February’s WInter Olympics in Pyeongchang as genuine medal contenders in sports whose podiums have for so long been no-go areas for Britons.

Hunt said: “What Dave and Muzzy are doing is debunking the myth that British athletes can’t be successful in snow sports or at the Winter Olympics.

“They are both dispelling myths as they go along – that you’ve got to start skiing at the age of three, that you’ve got to be born in the Alps. And in delivering what they are delivering, they are exposing excuses for prior failures.”

Having transformed the fortunes of the women’s endurance squad, Hunt left his role as a coach at British Cycling last year, taking over at BSS with the ambitious goal of turning Britain into one of the top five Winter Olympic nations by 2030.

Hunt now says the campaign is ahead of schedule, bolstered by a funding increase of £212,000 from UK Sport, which has increased the chances of Ryding and Musgrave making history.

Hunt added: “Dave has a strong support package around him now, while BSS this year has been able to put an additional two cross-country coaches into the programme as well”