Walker and Wilson team up again for World Cup campaign

Rebekah Wilson will partner British driver Paula Walker for the forthcoming World Cup bobsleigh season.

Wilson, a world junior champion with Walker in 2011, beat off the challenge of Kelly Denyer and Gillian Cooke to earn the brakewoman slot in Britain's first-choice sled.

Denyer will partner Youth Olympic silver medallist Mica McNeill in GBR2 while Cooke - a world champion with Nicola Minichiello in 2011 - will sit behind former skeleton slider Victoria Olaoye in GBR3.

Four athletes have been named to contest the three slots behind first-choice British men's four driver John Jackson, who is continuing his comeback from injury.

Olympic sprinter Craig Pickering, in only his second season with the team, will join established names Bruce Tasker, Stu Benson and Joel Fearon.

Jackson piloted Britain to fifth at last year's World Championships and hopes are high the crew can end a 16-year wait for a men's bobsleigh medal in Sochi.

Lamin Deen will pilot GBR2 with Toby Olubi, John Baines, Ben Simons and Andy Matthews contesting the three spots in his crew.

The selections were finalised following a week of trials in Latvia with British bobsleigh officials targeting one medal in Sochi.

"As ever, selection decisions are hard to make and some athletes will be disappointed, but this is the business end of the sport and it shows the increase in standards across the squad," said performance director Gary Anderson.

"The objective for GBR this season is to qualify the maximum number of sleds for the Olympic Games in Sochi.

"I am very pleased that recent results show we are on track to hit the medals in Sochi and have every faith in my team and the athletes selected."

© Sportsbeat 2013