Another Paralympics, another bid for gold - only this time, Australian snowboard ace Ben Tudhope feels he's at the peak of his powers.
In the nearly four years since the Sydney local snared Australia's only medal at the Beijing Winter Games, Tudhope has become an established heavyweight on the international circuit.
The 26-year-old claimed world champion status in 2023 with a near-flawless performance in the snowboard cross at La Molina, Spain to back up his bronze medal - won in the same discipline - the year before.
Tudhope, who was born with cerebral palsy that causes partial paralysis on his left side, vies for his fourth Paralympic appearance after finishing second in the overall para-snowboard standings across the last two World Cup seasons.
He claimed a snowboard cross bronze at this year's World Championships at Big White in Canada.
No longer the fresh-faced 14-year-old who became the youngest ever Winter Paralympian at the 2014 Sochi Games, Tudhope is on target for his lofty gold medal ambitions.
Not that he believes he's guaranteed a podium spot.
"I'm a massive fan of my sport too, and the level of competition has gotten so high," Tudhope told AAP.
"I love that because I have to fight my way, and I know if I stand on the podium or stand on the top of the podium at the Games - I really deserve to be there.
"I feel like I'm in the top form as I can be, I'm snowboarding as well as I can and as well as I ever have done before.
"If I'm having fun, it's going to put me at the top.
"I'm fighting for that moment and for that spot right now, and I'm dedicated to getting one per cent better every day."
Tudhope boasts fine form despite fracturing his wrist and tearing a thumb ligament last season.
While the physical injuries didn't keep him off the snow for long, Tudhope said overcoming the mental hurdles left him in good stead.
"I've been pretty lucky my whole career with injuries, so I definitely had to prepare myself mentally," Tudhope said.
"It was such a petty injury (with my thumb), I was trying to get myself up, just stand up off the snow because I fell on my arse.
"Getting up off the snow, I just bent my thumb back.
"I did come away with the World Championships medal at the end of the season ... but snowboarding as an athlete, you've got to be prepared for the worst that can happen."
Tudhope will have five World Cup stops from November leading up to the Milano-Cortina Paralympics, and will be joined by fellow Australian snowboarders Aaron McCarthy and Sean Pollard.
