91Èȱ¬

Andrew Young has his sights on the Winter Olympics podium after achieving the best World Cup result for a British cross-country skier.

Young, 28, claimed sprint silver in Germany last month, having picked up bronze in Switzerland a week earlier.

Beijing 2022 would be a fourth Games for the Aberdeenshire-born athlete, who has lived in Norway for 10 years.

"The chance of a medal at the next Olympics, it is there," Young told 91Èȱ¬ Scotland.

"I would definitely put myself in that group of challengers who are just behind the best guys in the world.

"If I get my planning and my training done perfectly in the build-up and have a perfect day, then I am ready to attack anybody who makes a mistake and fight for a medal.

"I have shown that, if I am in my top physical condition, I am capable, but there are a lot of things that would have to go my way for that to happen."

Young was Britain's first World Cup medallist in cross-country when he took bronze in Italy in 2015 and last year achieved his first 15km pursuit major honour with another bronze at the World Cup Finals in Canada.

"The main thing was just getting back on the podium," the Scot said. "After two podiums, I was like 'woah, I'm back after five years'.

"It has been a bit of a challenge over that time, so a lot of it was actually relief that I have still got that level in me, that it wasn't a one-off fluke back in 2015.

"An offshoot from Covid-19 and all the social distancing is that the chance of picking up a cold or sore throat which would affect your training has been almost nil, so I have been 100% healthy."