SLIDING Sports Australia is refusing to send a bobsleigh team to Pyeongchang despite it meeting international selection criteria and having the support of the Australian Olympic Committee.

The Olympics is “no place for inexperienced athletes,” the SSA said today, citing safety concerns and Breanna Walker and Ashleigh Werner’s failure to meet AOC-approved performance criteria.

SSA acting chief executive Adriana Di Piazza, a former Olympic bobsleigher, pointed out that the pair had yet to get International Bobsleigh Federation permission to compete in a top-tier world cup race.

“We are very proud of the skill development and performances of our women’s bobsleigh squad [but] it’s worth remembering the women have only just completed their first full season of competition,” Di Piazza told Australian Association Press.

“At a time when other sporting administrations are developing concussion protocols and other procedures to protect their athletes, an Olympic track is no place for inexperienced athletes who have not met the minimal physical standards required to test their mettle.”

Australia was one of only 12 countries given a two-woman bobsleigh slot at Pyeongchang, but its position will be reallocated if no team is nominated.

The AOC said it believes there is a “strong case for the inclusion of a women’s bobsleigh team on developmental grounds.”