Winter Olympics: NZ team biggest ever

New Zealand's largest ever Olympic Winter Games team will compete in Turin, Italy next month after the addition of another seven athletes in the disciplines of skeleton and bobsleigh today.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) can confirm that these athletes will join the five man curling team, three skiers and three snowboarders, taking the total number of athletes to eighteen.

It easily surpasses the previous biggest team of 11 who went to Salt Lake City four years ago.

Today's additions are skeleton racers Ben Sandford and Louise Corcoran, along with bobsleigh competitors Alan Henderson, Matt Dallow, Stephen Harrison, Aaron Orangi, Angus Ross.

The five athletes named in bobsleigh will compete in both the two man and four man events.

Four of the team -- Henderson, Dallow, Harrison and Ross -- were members of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games team in Salt Lake City.

Henderson and Ross will be attending their third successive Games after competing at both Salt Lake City and Nagano, 1998.

Both Ben Sandford and Louise Corcoran will be making their first appearance at an Olympic Games.

Sandford is the nephew of former world skeleton champion Bruce Sandford, prior to skeleton becoming an Olympic sport.

The Turin Olympic Winter Games begin on February 10 and run until February 26.

New Zealand's Olympic Winter Games team:

Curling: Sean Becker, Lorne de Pape, Hans Frauenlob, Dan Mustapic, Warren Dobson

Alpine Skiing: Mickey Ross (slalom), Nicola Campbell (giant slalom, super G), Erika McLeod (giant slalom)

Snowboarding: Juliane Bray (halfpipe, snowboarder cross), Kendall Brown (halfpipe), Mitchell Brown (halfpipe)

Skeleton: Ben Sandford, Louise Corcoran

Bobsleigh: Alan Henderson, Matt Dallow, Stephen Harrison, Aaron Orangi, Angus Ross

- NZPA