New Zealand team profiles
Tionette Stoddard (35)
Skeleton racer
Lives: Dunedin (born Emerald, Australia).
Event: In the skeleton, a strong push start is all important.
The athletes sprint with their sled for about 50m on an icy track, then dive on to the sled face first.
They steer by adjusting their body weight.
The event will consist of four runs held over two days.
The times are added and the fastest time decides the winner.
The runs are timed electronically to the hundredth of a second.
Background: Stoddard has played elite women's rugby and was the South Island's under-63kg weightlifting champion in 2006 and 2008.
She first competed for New Zealand in the bobsleigh in 2001, switching to skeleton in 2004.
Her best result was seventh at the 2008 St Moritz World Cup and she has had five top-10 results since then.
Last month she was 15th at the 2010 St Moritz World Cup and followed up with eighth at the Igls World Cup on January 22.
Chances: Stoddard has a strong push, which should act in her favour.
Associated Press has picked the medal prospects as Mellisa Hollingsworth (Canada), Shelley Rudman (Great Britain) and Marion Trott (Germany).
Stoddard's push time at Igls (5.58sec) was equal to Hollingsworth and faster than Rudman (5.65sec) and Trott (5.77sec).
Race day: February 18 (heats) and February 19 (finals).
