The announcement, made at a fundraising dinner that for the first time brought together all three of Britain's Olympic skeleton medal winners – Salt Lake City 2002 bronze medallist Alex Coomber (pictured top, left), current world champion and Turin 2006 silver medallist Shelley Rudman (pictured top, second left) and Williams (pictured top,right), comes just nine months ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

British Skeleton chairman Lord Clifton Wrottesley explained the appointments will give Britain's most successful Winter Olympic sport a boost ahead of those next Olympics in Russia.

"We are delighted to be able to honour Amy's continuing commitment to our sport and to welcome Michel formally into the British Skeleton family," he said at the dinner, which raised £100,000 ($158,000/€118,000) to support the athletes in the lead-up to Sochi.

"They both bring so much experience and passion for winter sport and we are very lucky to have such knowledgeable individuals helping to guide our sport.

"Last night was a great celebration of our athletes and the sport and I'd like to thank everyone who made the fundraising evening such a success, it bodes well for the next 281 days to Sochi 2014."


Williams, who is an Official Team GB Ambassador for the Sochi 2014 Games, explained she was delighted to stay involved in skeleton after retiring from the sport last year.

"I'm so proud to have been asked to take up this position; skeleton has been my life and I'm really pleased I will be able to stay involved in the sport," she said.

"I hope my knowledge and experience can help the sport as a whole as I know there is so much potential, in the athletes, coaches and the opportunities for the governing body to grow and continue to succeed."

Grenoble 1968, Sapporo 1972 and Innsbruck 1976 Olympian Carvalho (pictured top, second right), meanwhile, said he was excited to be joining forces with Williams to lead British Skeleton.


"It is a privilege to have been asked to lead this fantastic and dynamic organisation, which has extremely talented athletes and committed, world-class coaches and staff," said Carvalho, who is married to Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, the fourth generation of the Heineken family to control the Dutch brewing company, of which he is also a member of the Supervisory Board.

"Winter sports, particularly skiing and luge have played such an important part in my life that I am delighted to be able to support British Skeleton in this way.

"Amy Williams is an outstanding athlete and a charismatic leader and it will be a pleasure to join forces as we build up to Sochi 2014."

The event, which featured an auction hosted by Sotheby's chair Lord Harry Dalmeny, was also used to launch British Skeleton's awareness raising and fundraising campaign "Follow us, Join us, Sponsor us" that aims to attract commercial revenue to supplement the sport's £3.4 million ($5.3 million/€4 million) National Lottery funding.

Qualification for Sochi 2014 gets underway on October 1 this year and runs until January 19, with the Olympics taking place on February 7-23 next year.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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