Australian team for Beijing Winter Olympics has highest female representation ever

Women account for more than half of the 44 athletes Australia is sending to next month's Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The 52.3 per cent mark represents the highest proportion of women on an Australian Winter Olympics team, beating the 51.7 per cent mark for the Sochi 2014 squad.

Australian athletes will compete across 10 different disciplines, with the squad headlined by snowboarder Scotty James and mogul skier Britt Cox, who will both be appearing in their fourth Olympics.

Cox's selection is a triumph for the 27-year old after a horror crash in China in 2019 left her with six broken ribs and a broken collarbone, almost ending her illustrious career. 

World champion aerial skier Laura Peel, competing at her third Games, is among Australia's best medal hopes.

Twenty athletes, including four teenagers, will be making their Olympic debuts, including 16-year-old snowboarding sensation Valentino Guseli. 

Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt will be the first Australians to compete in curling at the Winter Games, while freestyle skiing boasts the largest team, with 13 athletes hitting the slopes. 

«All of these athletes have shown not just remarkable skill and tenacity in achieving their Olympic qualification on the snow and ice, but incredible resilience to overcome the challenges the pandemic has posed to them throughout this Olympic cycle,» said Australia's chef de mission Geoff Lipshut.

«To make it to the starting line is a true achievement and I want to pay credit to all of these athletes.

»I also want to pay tribute to those athletes who may not have qualified due to the challenges of the pandemic – your contribution to your sport, your teammates and this team will not be forgotten.

«From Scotty James and Britt Cox joining rare air as