Olympic gold medallist Torah Bright leads a 23-strong Australian team to the Winter Games in Central Otago next month.
Bright is only the fourth Australian to win gold at the Winter Olympics, and plans to make history at the Sochi Olympics next year by becoming the first snowboarder to compete in three disciplines - halfpipe, slopestyle and snowboard-cross.
She is scheduled to contest the halfpipe and slopestyle disciplines at Cardrona, taking on Olympic rivals Kelly Clarke and Hannah Teter (USA) and Frenchwoman Sophie Rodriguez.
Bright will be joined by former snowboarding halfpipe world champion and two-time Olympian Holly Crawford, who is ranked fifth in the world in halfpipe.
Compatriot Russ Henshaw is contesting both the slopestyle and halfpipe disciplines seeking Olympic qualification, and faces a particularly tough challenge in the slopestyle.
Ranked second in the world, Henshaw is up against world No.1 Nick Goepper (USA) and third-ranked Briton James Woods, as well as Kiwi hopeful Jossi Wells.
Australian Olympic snowboard team coach Ben Wordsworth says the Winter Games, which run from August 15-25, are a vital part of the Australian Olympic build-up.
"Most of the athletes are in the final stages of their Olympic qualifying process, and the Winter Games counts towards this as the first event on the 2013-2014 calendar."
Among the leading athletes from 33 nations confirmed for the Winter Games are all three of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic snowboard halfpipe medallists - Shaun White (USA), Peetu Piiroinen (Finland) and American Scott Lago.
Share
