JACK Cunningham is confident that competing at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics will serve him well in the future.

The Oxford alpine skier finished 26th in the men’s Super G in Lausanne, Switzerland, before failing to finish in the men’s giant slalom and slalom.

While the results were disappointing, the 17-year-old believes his performances throughout the week show he can mix it with the best.

He said: “It’s been one of the most amazing weeks of my life – it’s been an amazing experience being able to compete against some of the best guys in the world.

“I’ve put in some of the fastest times and fastest splits, but ultimately it just wasn’t meant to be, as I crashed out in pretty much everything.

“You’ve got to go as hard as you can and you’d much rather come out hard knowing that you skied well, rather than coming to the finish and having some regrets, especially at big events like the Youth Olympics.

“I’ve proved to myself that I can be competitive against some of the best skiers in the world.”

The teenager is one of just 28 Team GB competitors selected for the Games, which began on January 9 and finish on Wednesday.

Almost 1,900 athletes from 70 nations, all aged 14 to 17, are taking part across 16 disciplines.

Cunningham began skiing aged three and has already won a host of medals, including gold in the Under 16 category at the Delancey British Alpine Skiing Championship in Tignes in 2018.

But he knows that rubbing shoulders with the elite can benefit him in the long term.

He said: “I’ve learnt certain movement patterns on the skis from the top performers and tried to transfer these elements into my own performance.

“I was hoping for some top tens this week, which is where I know I’m perfectly capable of being, but it just wasn’t my week.

“The experience has honestly been amazing – I love the atmosphere and the environment within the team.

“Being able to race on slopes like these has been perfect in order to prepare you for future Europa and World Cups.”