Danielle Scott: Australian sport's next golden girl?
You've probably never heard of Danielle Scott, but chances are you're about to hear a lot more about her.
The aerial skier is heading to the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang as a legitimate gold medal chance, looking to emulate the feats of Alisa Camplin and Scott's teammate Lydia Lassila before her.
An AIS scholarship holder at the tender age of 7, Scott has followed a well-worn path from gymnastics to snow that's made Australia an unlikely freestyle force.
"It's really driven us," Scott told 7News on Wednesday, exactly 100 days out from the Winter Olympics.
"We're a small team but we have that rich success that we continue to build on."
The 27-year-old self-confessed sports tragic is already a sponsor's dream, part of US giant Under Armour's stable.
She's also at ease matching wits with rugby union superstar Nick Cummins, featuring alongside the Honey Badger in a TV ad for Tradie underwear.
A runner-up at the last two World Cups, Scott wants to go one better in South Korea in February.
"I want to enjoy it, have fun and a medal would be the icing on the cake."
The Australian team recently launched its formal wear for the Winter Games, with Scott featuring front and centre.
Australia is set for its most-successful Winter Olympics ever, according to a performance-based model released on Wednesday.
The Gracenote report - which has been predicting medal tallies by country for the past three Olympics - has Australia claiming a record four medals in South Korea.
Australia has picked up three medals twice (2010, 2014); the former the best result with two golds and a silver in the return.
With two of the medals for Pyeongchang slated as gold and the other two silver, it places Australia 15th on the Gracenote 'Virtual Medal Table', ahead of more-renowned winter sport countries such as Italy and Finland.
A spot in the top 15 would also represent a best finish for Australia, which has competed at all Winter Olympics bar one since 1936.
The report by Gracenote - a company owned by global marketing research firm Nielsen - weighs results in recent world championships and other world-class events, giving more weight to the most recent.
World champions Britt Cox (moguls) and Scotty James (snowboard halfpipe) loom as the predicted gold medallists but there are a number of other Australians in strong contention.
Scott, two-time Games medal winner Lydia Lassila and David Morris (aerial skiing); Alex Pullin and Belle Brockhoff (snowboard cross) and Matt Graham (moguls) headline a list of athletes expected to challenge for the podium.
Australia enjoyed a record-breaking 2016/17 ski and snowboard season, claiming 40 medals across the World Cup and world championship.
The Winter Olympics start on February 9, live and free on the channels of 7.
with AAP
