BRITISH bobsleigh star John Jackson says he’s trying not to get too excited about his new-look men’s GBR1 team ahead of the new season.

The 34-year-old pilot, who is based in Hilperton, flies out with teammates Bruce Tasker, John Bains, Stu Benson and Joel Fear today in preparation for next week’s British Championships in Winterberg, Germany.

Jackson, who toasted his first-ever win in a Europa Cup event with gold in St Moritz, Switzerland, at the start of the year, reckons his five-man team have the potential for greater success in the winter campaign. But the Royal Marines Commando is determined to stay grounded as Britain’s men prepare to return to the ice.

“(Compared to) the team that I went to the Olympics (Vancouver 2010) with, the boys behind me this time are quicker than them,” said Jackson.

“Bruce is the most experienced guy on the crew international-wise and he’s only done half a season of bobsleigh. The other guys are top-level athletes and they can adjust very quickly so hopefully, things are looking good.

“We’ll certainly make an improvement from last year but I’m trying not to get too excited about how much of an improvement until we’ve got on the ice and got some numbers down to compare to the rest of the world.”

British Bobsleigh performance director Gary Anderson has handed his athletes the target of getting on the podium at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, 50 years on from Tony Nash and Robin Dixon’s gold medal at the Innsbruck Games of 1964.

After 15 years in the armed forces, Jackson is due to be released from the marines next year and will become a full-time athlete as he chases his dream of an Olympic medal in Russia.

He added: “From April to June-time I’ll be released and I’ll be able to train at Team Bath every day.

“I was supposed to be going to Afghanistan last year but things got moved and I managed to get to compete, which helped massively. The Royal Marines and Royal Navy help me out by putting me in places in jobs where I can still get away to compete and next year they’ll get behind me so I can focus on trying to get a medal at the next Olympics.”

Jackson’s partner and women’s GBR1 pilot Paula Walker, the world junior champion, is in Canada for early season training.