Chemmy Alcott is hoping to make a dream come true at the Winter Olympics.

Alcott, Great Britain's only female skier in Turin, wrote about how she wanted to win a gold medal when she was at primary school.

And destiny might lend a hand on the slopes of the Piedmont mountains where the sporting jamboree started today.

Alcott, who lives in Hove, said: "It is a bit of a sob story. We had to write down what we wanted to do when we grew up. I said I wanted to win the Olympics and I have kept that piece of paper.

"It is safely packed in a storage box back home. But the dream would only come true if I do well in Turin because I am an ambitious person."

Alcott has been in decent form during the World Cup Series this winter, especially in the Super G where she finished 12th in Austria and 19th in Italy.

The 23-year-old said: "I've been feeling good and am reasonably happy. I have completely recovered from the foot problems which limited me last season.

"The only real trouble is lack of consistency. I've been about as consistent as a pogo stick (up and down)!

"It is my aggressive style of skiing - some snow suits me and some doesn't. I'm hoping it will be the former in Turin."

Alcott knows the course will be tougher than when she competed on it in the World Cup last year.

She said: "It was too easy then. All the girls signed a petition to compete on the men's slopes for the Olympics because we wanted a tougher course. The organisers said no but agreed to change the course. They've taken a bulldozer to it and toughened it up."

Alcott has been busy rewriting British skiing history since a solid Winter Olympic Games debut in Salt Lake City four years ago when she was a creditable 14th in the Combined.

She achieved the best World Cup result by a British woman in 32 years when finishing ninth in the Downhill in Cortina in January, 2004.

She was 11th in Super G at Lake Louise in Canada and 16th in the Giant Slalom at Maribor in Slovenia in the same year to confirm her talent on the slopes. She is convinced competing in the previous Games will hold her in good stead for Italy.

Alcott said: "I know what to expect, although I will be staying in the Olympic village for the first time."

"Am I good enough for a top ten, even a medal?

"I never set goals because you can either surpass them and everybody thinks you weren't confident going in or you don't live up to expectations. Either way it would be tough to deal with mentally."

Alcott, who once broke her neck skiing, said: "I will be busy right up to when I race each time so I won't have time to get nervous.

"I am not a big thinker anyway, which will make my schoolmates laugh because I was the opposite in those days.

"If you start to think on the hill it slows you down because your brain starts to register the possible dangers.

"At the Olympics I will be just a daffy blonde who goes with the flow!"

The support of her family will be a boost.

She said: "My mum and dad could not afford to come to Salt Lake City but they will be in Turin with my two brothers and friends. It will be good to know they will be there for me.

"They know I won't be able to sit around and have an espresso with them but they don't often get a chance to watch me ski and will have each other for company."

What would she be happy with in Turin?

She said: "I just hope to get to the bottom of the hill each time and be happy with my run regardless of what placing I am because letting yourself down in skiing when you have trained so hard is tough to take.

"I would be as ecstatic if I were tenth or 30th as long as I had had my best run.

"One thing I do know, though, is that I will be the best British girl for skiing at the Games!"

Chemmy believes, at the very least, that she will make good viewing.

She said: "Watch your televisions this time! Salt Lake City coverage was in the middle of the night but Turin is only an hour ahead."

Her debut was overshadowed by the gold medal success of Britain's curling team. Perhaps Chemmy can put them in the shade this time.

l Chemmy will compete in the Super G, Downhill, Combined and Giant Slalom disciplines when the female Alpine skiing starts next Wednesday.