Cross country skiers Paul Murray and Esther Bottomley were today selected for their second Australian Olympic Winter Team. They will compete at the Vancouver Games next month alongside teammate Ben Sim who will make his Olympic debut.

Bottomley, 27 from Mount Beauty in Victoria, will contest the ladies individual sprint classic, a 1.5km event in which competitors start in 15-second intervals skiing one lap of the course, with the top 30 competitors advancing to final racing where four skiers race head-to-head in an elimination format.

Since Torino, where Bottomley placed 52nd, her form has continued to improve, with her best World Cup result a 19th on the Whistler Olympic Park course in January 2009.

In recent weeks Bottomley has raced consistently well, including a podium in the Swiss Cup in Campra, a top 10 in the European Cup in Oberwiesenthal, Germany and most recently a win in the German Cup sprint in Hinterzarten on January 16.

Murray, who also hails from Mount Beauty, has foregone competition in recent weeks to undertake another intensive training block in Sweden. The experienced racer is confident that he will be able to produce a strong result at Whistler Olympic Park despite a disappointing lead-up.

Sim on the other hand has had his strongest international season and continues to improve with every race. In his most recent competition at the Swiss Cup in Campra, he posted two top ten finishes. He is the most versatile athlete of the squad gaining selection in five events across sprint and endurance.

The cross country section of the 2010 Australian Olympic Winter Team:

Esther Bottomley (27) Mt Beauty, VIC
Ladies Individual Sprint Classic

Paul Murray (32) Mt Beauty, VIC  
Men’s Individual Sprint Classic
Team Sprint Freestyle

Ben Sim (24) Cooma, NSW            
Men’s 15km Freestyle
Men’s Individual Sprint Classic
Men’s 30km Pursuit (15C+15F)
Team Sprint Freestyle
Men’s 50km Mass Start Classic

Note: Australia is on the list to be allocated an additional quota place by FIS under the quota reallocation process by 28 January 2010. If this occurs, Callum Watson has been nominated as the athlete to be added to the Team.