Loan Bozzolo: Top things to know about the French snowboard cross star

Loan Bozzolo is one to watch at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou during these Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The 22-year-old will compete in two events at the P & X Stadium in the Beijing Games: men’s snowboard cross and the mixed team snowboard cross. The latter is making its Winter Olympic debut after featuring at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.

Bozzolo hails from Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in the French Alps. The exciting snowboard cross (SBX) athlete began skiing when he was two-years-old and made the switch to the board when he was five.

The Frenchman finished 24th in the men's event at PyeongChang 2018, which came only two months after he fractured the fibula in his lower leg and suffered a head injury competing at a World Cup event in Montafon.

Here are the the top things to know about a young snowboarder who believes the best is yet to come.

MORE: Full snowboard schedule at Beijing 2022

Bozzolo actually has two fantastic nicknames: 'Turbozzolo' or 'Turbozz'.

It's probably self-explanatory, but he loves speed, seems to have a 'turbo' mode, and is known for his aggressive snowboard cross style.

Coach Lionel Sibler described Bozollo to Group BPCE: "Loan has been with the club since his debut. Young, he always pulled the plug with his friend Merlin [Surget], they monopolised the titles of champion of France, both.

Bozollo and Surget may have pushed each other, but his family were also key to the Frenchman's progress.

"His big brother was his role model, he helped him a lot. Loan loved speed. He has qualities, he is a go-getter, he has no apprehension. He is very physical, pugnacious, he never gives up. He is very strong in one-day races, he manages to transcend himself in these moments, he manages the pressure well.