Britain's biggest Winter Olympic squad set to make history

Described by Team GB as the "young pretender", Izzy Atkin is a teenager with a big future in front of her. At 18 she became the first British woman to win a World Cup ski slopestyle event when she triumphed in Silvaplana, Switzerland, last March.

Atkins quickly followed up that success with a bronze medal at the World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. This season she has finished seventh and third in her two World Cup appearances and has one last run out at the Winter X-Games to come, before heading to PyeongChang to potentially make more history.

Family rivalry will be played out on the snow-covered slopes thanks to sisters Katie and Molly Summerhayes. They are both seeking gold in different events.

The sisters from the city of Sheffield, are included in Team GB's freestyle skiing squad.

Katie Summerhayes, 22, takes part in the women's slope style, while young sibling Molly, 20, competes in the women's half pipe.

Katie Summerhayes is considered one of Britain's best medal chances having finished seventh four years ago and won a world silver medal in 2015. She will compete in the slopestyle event, which sees skiers judged as they perform a dizzying array of tricks and jumps on a downhill course pitted with obstacles.

Her younger sister will make her first Olympic appearance in the halfpipe, in which she won the world junior title three years ago.

Katie commented: "Having Molly to share the experience with me is great. I've told her so much about last time and now she gets to share it with me."

Making a second Games team has not been easy for the older Summerhayes sister who has been off the snow since picking up an injury last month, only returning to action this week.

"Four years ago I almost missed out through injury and I feared the same thing was going to happen again," she said.

Molly, 20, was part of her sister's cheering squad in Sochi and admitted the experience only made her more determined to be part of it, with the pair only the fourth British sisters to compete at the games.

"I think I've got an idea of the pressure from watching her last time but I also saw how much fun she had and what an experience and privilege it is to compete for your country," said Molly.

"I just really want to go out and have a good time and perform the best I can. I'm trying not to set myself any goals but I want to come home with no regrets."

At PyeongChang 2018, Team GB will compete in 11 of the 15 disciplines; Alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, luge, short track speed skating, skeleton and snowboarding.

Of the 11, freestyle skiing will see the highest number of athletes compete, 11, while Amanda Lightfoot will be the sole Team GB biathlete in South Korea.

Luge is the only sport to return to Team GB after missing out at Sochi 2014, while five snowboarders are set to compete in big air as the event makes its Olympic debut.

The 59-strong team sees 34 men and 25 women selected, while 33 of the team will compete on ice in PyeongChang and 26 on snow.

Mike Hay, Team GB Chef de Mission, said: "With the team fully selected for PyeongChang 2018, I'm delighted to welcome all 59 athletes to Team GB. It's a great milestone in our preparations for the Games to know our complete delegation travelling out to South Korea and the countdown is now firmly on for the Opening Ceremony on 9th February.

"Not only is this the largest team we've ever taken to a Winter Olympics but I feel it is also the most talented. Given results over the last two years at elite level, there is potential for success across a broader range of sports than ever before and I'm confident that with this group of athletes we can make history once again."