Rhys Thornbury during a training run at the 2017 Skeleton World Cup. Photo / Getty
A whim to try out a new, intriguing sport has resulted in an Olympic call-up for New Zealand skeleton racer Rhys Thornbury.
The 28-year-old has been named to compete at the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February on the back of consistent international results, including an 11th placing at
last year's world championships.
Thornbury, a weapons technician with the British Royal Air Force, remembers when he first tried out the high-speed downhill discipline in Austria six years ago.
"What drew me to the sport was not knowing anything about it. I'd played rugby and softball as a kid in New Zealand and this was so different to anything I'd ever tried and I thought it looked so cool," he said.
"I love the feeling when you're on the start line before the race and all that adrenaline is going and you know you only have one chance to get it right."
