Stuart Benson aims to hit the heights in Sochi

The 33-year-old, from RAF Cosford, will join forces with experienced pilot John Jackson and fellow crew Joel Fearon and Bruce Tasker in Rzhanaya Polyana for a very realistic attempt at history.

Britain last won an Olympic bobsleigh medal at Nagano 1998 and last won gold at Innsbruck 1964 but there's genuine hope Benson, Jackson, Fearon and Tasker can help end such droughts in Sochi.

They've won historic World Cup and European Championship silver medals this season and, as for Benson's height, he even believes that will play into their favour after working with aerospace experts BAE Systems and Formula One teams such as McLaren in the build up to Sochi.

"Being the tallest member of the team is an advantage in terms of aerodynamics. We did a little bit of work in the winter at BAE Systems in Preston and with McLaren," said Benson. "We did a lot of sitting still and moving positions and it turns out the way we sit in the sled Jacko's helmet takes up a bit of room and then progressively we can form a nice aerodynamic shape behind the driver.

"I am right behind him. Aerodynamics is not always about looking pretty, there is a certain way it works that might not be obvious to the naked eye.

Benson wasn't in Sochi to watch good friend Lizzy Yarnold win another historic skeleton gold for Britain last week but he was in Russia at a British Olympic Association base in Moscow.

And Benson insists, given the nation's history in the sport of bobsleigh – Brits built the famous Cresta Run in St Moritz in the late 1800s, medals should be considered serious business not one-offs.

"There is history in British sliding, the first track in St Moritz was created by a British hotel owner and the British Military have had quite a big input into sliding," added Benson.

"So for me it almost looks obvious that we should be there and we should be always competing for a medal or at least a top finish."