TAUNTON bobsleigh prodigy George Johnston has been named in a 16-strong Team GB squad for next month’s Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

Johnston, 17, who attends Richard Huish College, will join 1,100 of the world’s best young athletes in Norway from February 12-21 to compete in 70 events during 10 days of winter sport action.

Team GB’s delegation will feature in seven of the 15 disciplines that make up the sporting programme; alpine skiing, bobsleigh, curling, freestyle skiing, ice hockey skills challenge, luge and skeleton.

The team includes four bobsleigh athletes, who will compete in the first ever monobob event in an Olympic programme, with each of the four having stepped onto the podium during qualification for Lillehammer 2016.

Ashleigh Pittaway will look to continue her good form in the skeleton after winning four of the qualification races for the Games, while Lucas Gebuaer-Barrett will be the first luge athlete to compete for Team GB since the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Four curlers are set to compete across the mixed team and mixed pairs events, Verity Lewis will put her ice hockey talents to the test in the skills event and five skiers will take on the world’s finest across alpine, slopestyle, halfpipe and ski cross.

Lillehammer 2016 is the fourth ever edition of YOG, which started with Singapore 2010, and will be the second winter Games following Innsbruck 2012.

The Games will also look to offer a wider experience for the athletes, with the youth culture and learning festival ‘Sjoggfest’ running as part of Lillehammer 2016 with over 150 workshops and activities to get involved in.

Team GB at Lillehammer 2016 Chef de Mission, Adam Pengilly, also from Taunton, said: “It’s really exciting to announce the team and in just a few days’ time we’ll be gathering together to kit the team out and to assemble for the first time before flying out to Norway.

“This will no doubt be the pinnacle of these athletes’ careers so far and we want the Youth Olympic Games to be part of a journey to help with their development both as competitors but also as people.

“Lillehammer 2016 will be about them gaining the experience of being part of an Olympic environment as well as delivering the best possible performance that they can.

“We’ve got a great mix of sports and we’re represented in seven of the 15 disciplines, with quite a small delegation. I’m sure we’re going to see some exciting things from these young athletes in Norway and beyond.”