Skeleton star Patrick Singleton will not be the only competitor with local connections at the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, next month.

Sixteen year-old Anders Johnson, son of Bermudian Christine Johnson who now lives in Park City, Utah, has just become the youngest person since 1948 to be selected for the US ski jumping team.

Johnson is not Bermudian, but his family have roots on the Island which go back four generations.

His grandmother is Patty Selden, formerly Patty Fitz-Patrick while his great grandparents were Pat and Maxine Fitz-Patrick ? all of whom were locals.

His uncles Tim Jenkins and Jeremy Fitz-Patrick are also Bermudians and will be in Torino to cheer their nephew on.

Anders? father Alan was the director of US ski jumping for many years and as a result Anders spent most of his early childhood on or near a jumping hill.

Anders is now in Slovakia competing at the Ski Jumping World Junior Championships, from where he will travel to Italy for the biggest challenge of his fledgling career.

Speaking from Utah yesterday, his mother Christine said the whole family were overjoyed with his selection as part of a five-man US team.

She also promised to take a Bermudian flag with her to the Games.

?As you can imagine we are all really excited that he got in,? Christine said.

?We are all very proud of him. Just getting on the team and being able to have such an amazing experience at such an early age is an achievement in itself.

?We don?t have any expectations. Even if he comes last it really won?t matter because he has many more years ahead of him. Ski jumping is his life though and he will want to put on a good show.

?I and my family retain a huge amount of affection for Bermuda ? it is a country which means a lot to us and we were thrilled to hear about Patrick Singleton?s qualification as well.?

Johnson?s sister, Alissa, 18, is another a world-class jumper but will not be able to compete this year because of the Olympic Federation?s refusal to sanction female ski jumping as an event.