imageBritain’s women to watch.

The build-up to the 2014 Winter Games has probably been one of the more troubled in Olympic history.

It is hard for anyone with an ounce of political awareness not be disturbed by some of the events leading up to the Games: from the release of the members of Pussy Riot and other “dissidents” to the whole “gay propaganda” scandal.

And with the bombings in Volgograd and the threats from Sochi being on the borders of both Chechnya and Dagestan, the Russian government and security services will have their work cut out to ensure the Games will be safe and enjoyable for both competitors and visitors.

Here is not the place to discuss the political ramifications of the decision to hold the event in Russia; from 7-23 February many a  focus will be on the sport.

So here’s a look at the British women to watch.

Britain is sending its strongest Winter Olympics teamever. Britain’s best medal haul so far was at the first Winter Olympics in 1924, held in Chamonix. This year could finally see that tally beaten.

Top female contenders for a medal have to be the incredible skeleton duo of Shelley Rudman and Lizzie Yarnold.

Yarnold has been making all the headlines this season, ending up World Cup champion by 152 points over the American Noelle Pikus-Place, with the redoubtable Shelley Rudman in third.

During the World Cup series Yarnold won four golds, two silvers and one bronze.

This was two wins in a row for the Britons as Rudman took the title in 2012. Rudman also won an Olympic silver in Turin in 2006.

Elise Christie has been making big strides in the short track speed skating this season. She is the reigning European champion over 1,000m.

Skip Eve Muirhead and her team are among the favourites to take gold in the women’s curling.Her Scotland team took the world title in March 2013 and is now looking to go one better by taking the Olympic title.

Muirhead has experience of the Olympics, finishing seventh in the 2010 Games, but her team of Anna Sloan, Claire Hamilton, Lauren Gray and Vicki Adams are all facing their first, so it will be up to Muirhead to lead from the front.

It is not often we can say that we have a chance in skiing, but in freestyle skier, Katie Summerhayes, we have just that.  She was the first British woman to win a World Cup skiing medal in 19 years last season and will be hoping to build on that success in Sochi.

Finally, Jenny Jones has a chance, albeit an outside one, of a medal in the slopestyle snowboarding.

Even if none of the above medal hopes come to pass, it will certainly be exciting stuff; there is an element of danger and chance that just is not present at the Summer Games.

No-one knows this better than Alpine skier, Chemmy Alcott.

Five months ago Alcott broke her leg and looked to be out of the running for a team place. Although her recovery has been steady, she has been unable to prove her fitness beyond doubt.

However, the selectors have picked her, and, unsurprisingly, she is determined to do well. “I’m glad they’re taking this chance with me. And I’ll prove them right because I’ll ski fast,” she told the BBC.

Other members of the team are Amanda Lightfoot in the biathlon and Paula Walker and Rebekah Wilson in bobsleigh.

Rosamund Musgrave competes in the cross country skiing and Emma Lonsdale and Rowan Cheshire alongside Katie Summerhayes in the freestyle.

We have representatives in the pairs, mixed ice dance and women’s singles figure skating from Jenna McCorkell and Penny Coomes, and Stacey Kemp.

Charlotte Gilmartin will hope to keep up with Elise Christie in the short track speed skating.

The snowboarding team is completed by Zoe Gillings and Aimee Fuller.

For the vast majority of the British team, Sochi will be their first Games. We can witness their highs, lows, triumphs and tribulations via all BBC platforms.

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