Tucker Murphy has qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and is hoping to be Bermuda's first cross-country skier at the Games.

The Bermuda Rhodes Scholar reached the qualifying standard in Europe this month while competing in a series of events, including last month's World Championships at Liberec in the Czech Republic.

Murphy accumulated an average of less than 300 points over five International Ski Federation (FIS) endorsed races, meaning he met the Olympic qualifying standard, and is eligible to compete in the 15 kilometre race in Vancouver next year.

His participation at the Games now hinges on the Bermuda Olympic Association who must approve all athletes who represent Bermuda.

Currently studying for a Zoology doctorate at Merton College, Oxford, Murphy has been supported in his successful bid to qualify by Bermuda insurers Allied World.

"I am incredibly fortunate for this opportunity," said Murphy.

"Allied World's sponsorship allows me to devote more time to training and to participating in international FIS competitions."

If he competes next February, Murphy will become just the third Bermudian to appear at a Winter Olympics, and the first skier to represent the Island. In the past Patrick Singleton and Payne have competed in the skeleton and luge respectively.

Both have competed at multiple Games, with Payne becoming the first Bermudian to compete at a Winter Olympics when he participated at the Albertville Games in France.

Payne went on to then compete again two years later when the games were held at Lillehammer, the first time they had take place in a different year to the Summer Olympics.

The Vancouver Games could represent a high point for Bermuda's participation in winter sports.

With Murphy already qualified, Singleton and fellow skeleton racer Jay William Rewalt, are also bidding to join him. Singleton would be the senior member of the squad, having already represented his country three times in 1998, 2002, and 2006.

Murphy, a former Saltus Grammar School pupil, has a strong background in his sport, having competed as a member of his Dartmouth team at the US and Argentina National Championships. An infrequent visitor to the Island, he also runs and was back in January, finishing a highly respectable third in the Fairmont-to-Fairmont road race, competing in a sport he uses to keep fit for his skiing.