Winter Olympics: Biggest ever NZ team expected

More selections for New Zealand's Winter Olympics team to travel to Italy next month are expected to be added as soon as tomorrow and will probably push the contingent to New Zealand's biggest ever.

So far, the only members confirmed are the five-person curling team but the New Zealand Olympic Committee expects to receive final nominations from other sports soon and announce the team tomorrow, or possibly later in the week.

Skiing, snowboarding and skeleton racing are the sports most likely to send New Zealand athletes to Turin for the event starting on February 10.

Their numbers are expected to swell the team beyond the 11 sent to Salt Lake City in 2002, which was the largest New Zealand team ever sent to a Winter Olympics.

Ski Racing New Zealand alpine director Jim Davis last month said Nicola Campbell of Dunedin, Mark Bridgwater of Christchurch, Mickey Ross of Oamaru, Erika McLeod of Auckland and Sarah Jarvis of Hamilton were all within the discretionary criteria set by NZOC for the Winter Olympics.

As many as three skeleton racers have been reported to be in the selection mix.

- NZPA