Great Britain bobsleigh performance director Gary Anderson insists the athletes selected for the Olympic qualification season are among the most focussed ever as they build towards Sochi.
In total 21 athletes have been chosen with Paula Walker heading up a list of nine women and John Jackson, currently recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in July, leading a group of 12 men.
All will go forward for a period of on-ice assessment and pre-season training ahead of the individual crews being selected with the first of eight World Cup events in Calgary at the end of November.
For these World Cups Britain have qualified three women’s quota slots, Mica McNeill and Victoria Olaoye the other pilots, and two men’s for both the two-man and four-man, Lamin Deen joining Jackson.
In order to meet the qualification standards set for Sochi each women’s crew needs to be ranked in the world’s top 14 and each men’s crew the top 20 at the end of the seventh World Cup on January 19.
And performance director Anderson said: “This is the first phase of our selection process to ensure that we maximise our chances of qualification for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
“We have achieved a lot in the past three seasons but it has all been part of the plan for Sochi 2014. This group of athletes are focused and understand what is required of them.
“They have all signed up to our mission to be the best prepared team, technically, tactically, athletically and mentally that we can be come Games time.”
© Sportsbeat 2013