The Irish ski team for the World Championships at Vail, Colorado, was announced this week and included two women skiers for the first time. Fiona Hicks, who is the European Dry Slope champion, and Tamsen McGarry will become the first Irish women to represent Ireland at the championships which will finish on February 14th.

Two other competitors, Conor Columb and Paul Schwarzacher-Joyce, bring the number in the team to four. Joyce became the first Irish skier to compete in a Winter Olympics and finished a credible 15th in Nagano last year. Columb, who is based in Dublin, has represented Ireland in the last three world Championships in the slalom event.