Olympics: Bobsleigh men off to Winter Games

New Zealand's medal chances at the winter Olympics may not have been greatly enhanced but the team for Salt Lake City at least doubled in size yesterday with the addition of the five-member men's bobsleigh squad.

Alan Henderson, Stephen Harrison, Mark Edmond, Matt Dallow and Angus Ross were added to the team by the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

Henderson will pilot both sleds, but the make-up of the crew for the two- and four-man sleds will not be completed until a training camp in Calgary, Canada, this month.

Henderson and Ross will be attending their second Olympics, having finished 28th in a field of 36 in the two-man event at Nagano, Japan, in 1998.

New Zealand team chef de mission Geoff Balme is delighted the bobsledders have secured their positions.

"The team have had successful campaigns in the World Cup and Europa Cup over the last two seasons and fully deserve their opportunity," he said.

The two-man team are ranked 28th in a projected field of 45. The four-man team are about 26th in a likely field of 40.

New Zealand will not be represented in the women's bobsleigh.

Before Christmas the NZOC named an initial team of Claudia Riegler, Todd Hayward, Jesse Teat (alpine skiing), Angela Paul (luge) and Mark Jackson (short-track speed skating) for the Games, which start next month.

- NZPA