THE inclusion of big air into the Winter Olympics programme would have been welcome news for many snowboarders – but Jamie Nicholls insists he will be focusing solely on slopestyle at Pyeongchang in 2018.

Snowboard big air, which involves competitors performing one trick off a large jump, was in June added to the next Games in South Korea.

The sport joins curling mixed doubles, speed skating mass start and alpine skiing nations team events.

Despite the prospect of competing for another medal, Nicholls, one of Britain's leading snowboarders, admits big air is not his speciality.

The 22-year-old from Bradford believes slopestyle – where riders head down a course which includes rails and jumps – is his stronger discipline, having finished sixth in last year's final in Sochi, where the event made its Olympics debut.

He said: "Big air is not really my forte. I actually don't like the fact you're just dropped in and doing a big jump straight away.

"I quite enjoy building up to jumps so having rails at the start of a run is definitely key in my mind – I prefer that.

"I just wish rail events would be at the Olympics, I've not come lower than second at a rail contest.

"Big air is not on my mind, I think I'll fully concentrate on slopestyle and just try to do better than I did at the last Games and hopefully get a medal.

"If I put my all my energy on that one thing then I won't have so many things to concentrate on and it'll be easier.

"I'm excited, it should be good, obviously I hope it's just as good as the last one and I hope I do as well, if not better."

However, Nicholls, who is working his way back to full fitness after undergoing knee surgery over the summer, stressed Pyeongchang is a long way off.

He said: "It's definitely at the back of my mind but there are a lot of things I need to do and new tricks to learn, new projects to film before all that happens. One step at a time.

"I'm trying not to wish my life away. I'll enjoy everything leading up to that."

Away from competition, Nicholls has garnered plenty of attention for a couple of stunt videos he has performed at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, with the first attracting more than 65,000 likes on Facebook.

He is planning a third project away from the venue, and although he has been sworn to secrecy he says it will be "pretty special".

He added: "I really enjoy doing those projects alongside competing because that's why I got into snowboarding in the first place.

"I love filming and watching clips back of my riding, I enjoy that a lot."