The United Kingdom will send its largest-ever delegation to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games from Feb. 9-25, according to the British Embassy in Seoul.

Fifty-nine athletes representing Team Great Britain will compete in 11 of the 15 events: alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, luge, short track speedskating, skeleton and snowboarding. Of the 11 disciplines, freestyle skiing will have the most UK athletes competing at 11, while Amanda Lightfoot will be its lone competitor in biathlon.

“Not only is this the largest team we’ve ever taken to a Winter Olympics, but I feel it is also the most talented. Given results over the last two years at elite level, there is potential for success across a broader range of sports than ever before. I’m confident that with this group of athletes we can make history once again,” said Mike Hay, Team Great Britain’s chef de mission.

The team comprises 34 men and 25 women, with 33 of them competing on ice and 26 on snow. The youngest athlete is 19-year-old freestyle skier Izzy Atkin, while the oldest is 36-year-old curler Kelly Schafer. Thirty-one of them will make Olympic debuts.

The number of British athletes at the winter games has steadily grown over the years, with 56 taking part in Sochi in 2014 and 52 in Vancouver in 2010.

Meanwhile, the British Embassy has converted the ambassador’s residence into a British House for public viewing from Monday through March 18, when the Paralympic Games end. The venue will exhibit iconic Olympic images and memorabilia, including torches from the 1988 Seoul Games and London 2012 Games as well as petals from the original 2012 Olympic cauldron.

“The British House will celebrate the spirit of togetherness and showcase the strength of our bilateral relationship and the UK as a modern, innovative and welcoming place to visit, study and do business,” according to the diplomatic mission.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)