With seventeen days to go until the start of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the British Olympic Association (BOA) have today (26 January) announced the skiers and snowboarders who will take part in the Vancouver, Canada between 12 – 28 February.

The Winter Olympics looks set to be dropped from free-to-air coverage following a recommendation to the Department of Culture Media and Sport.

While a number of high profile events, most notably the Ashes, have been recommended for addition to the current list of crown jewels’ — the sporting events protected for free-to-air broadcasting — the review panel made a clear distinction between the Summer and Winter Games.

The panel, led by former FA executive director David Davies, included the Summer Olympics on their recommended list, while the previous list did not make the distinction between the two events, and simply protected the Olympic Games’.

British Olympic Association boss Andy Hunt says preparations for the London 2012 event must not overshadow the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Speaking 100 days before the start of the Games, Hunt said he hoped more than 45 Team GB athletes would be competing.

“There’s no way that I want winter athletes to ever feel like second-class citizens,” said Hunt.