non-fiction, sports, biog

Titles by Andrew Ross

ALAIN BAXTER: UNFINISHED BUSINESS: the biography of Britain’s greatest skier

Alain Baxter is Britain’s leading skier – the only Briton to have won a Winter Olympics medal. Nicknamed ‘The Highlander’ he is a one-off, the greatest skier Britain has ever produced. Baxter began to ski aged 2 on the slopes of Aviemore. By his mid-teens his talent was recognised, and his dream was to challenge for top honours. Yet in Britain no funding was available, and so began a ten yearslog, driving around Europe, living on overdraft, sleeping in hostels, cheap hotels or the back of his car. After a 15-year climb up the rankings, Alain Baxter caused the biggest upset at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics by clinching Britain’s first ever skiing medal. Agonisingly, the ecstasy was short-lived.No sooner had he returned to a hero’s welcome than the call came that he had failed a routine drugs test and would be stripped of his medal. Baxter was stunned and mystified. Baxter fought to clear his name. Bill Taylor QC, prosecutor in the Lockerbie bombing case, represented him pro bono as he took his fight to sport’s highest appeal court. Sensationally, Baxter was cleared but, despite endorsing the verdict, the IOC was steadfast: Baxter would never get his medal back.

Price £12.99

Details

• ISBN 0-9546843-5-4
• Publisher Dewi Lewis Publishing
• Genre Non Fiction
• Extent 224pp