Germany aims for top-three finish at Winter Olympics with team of 183

Germany will send an ambitious team of at least 183 athletes to next month's Milan/Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics where another top three finish in the medal table is the aim.

"We are and we remain a sporting nation," the team's chef de mission, Olaf Tabor, told a German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) news conference on Tuesday.

Tabor said the team has huge potential and hopes for a similar haul as 2022 in Beijing, where Germany garnered 27 medals, 12 of them gold, to finish second behind Norway as in 2018.

Germany's biggest medal hopes for the February 6-22 Games lie in their vastly successful skeleton, luge and bobsleigh teams as well as in Nordic combined skiers.

"We expect to win one or two medals in Cortina, and the sliding track could turn out to be a golden one for us."

In 2022, bob, luge and skeleton sliders won 16 of the 27 medals, including nine of the 12 gold.

Tabor also highlighted others like snowboarder Ramona Hofmeister who returned from a long injury lay-off with two World Cup victories.

Alpine skier Emma Aicher is another contender with two season wins and the biathlon team is led by reigning World Cup champion Franziska Preuss.

But there was no place for double luge world champions Paul Gubitz und Hannes Orlamünder and for multiple ski jumping world champion Karl Geiger, who has been struggling with his form all season.

Tabor also hopes for a few surprises in the team made up of 85 women and 98 women. Of those, 48 are part of the men's and women's ice hockey teams.

Alpine skiers have a pool of athletes with the nominees to follow, which will depend on quota slots.

"I am not happy about this situation. I think it is also unfortunate for the affected athletes because they have to wait," Tabor said.

Still to be named are the man and women who will carry the German flag at the February 6 opening ceremony in Milan's San Siro Stadium.

This will be decided in a public online vote from a shortlist of three women and three men, compiled by the DOSB, with the winners announced on February 5.