Martin, the chief executive of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), takes up the same role he held at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Before joining the OCI as chief executive, he was deputy chief executive of the British Olympic Association and head of its performance unit.

He was responsible for the British Olympic Medical Institute and its technical and athlete services departments, which provided elite service provision to Olympic athletes, coaches, and scientific and medical support teams.

Martin was deputy Chef de Mission at Summer and Winter Olympic Games with Team GB in Sydney 2000, Salt Lake 2002 and Athens 2004, and also a member of the UK Sports Institute Board.

Additionally, he has worked with Team Ireland in many capacities, including deputy Chef de Mission at the Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics.

"It’s a privilege to lead the Irish Team in Pyeongchang following on from the Sochi Winter Games of 2014," said Martin, who is considered one of the most experienced Olympic administrators in Europe.

"We are currently working closely with the Winter Sports Federation to ensure we give targeted athletes the support required to help their qualification campaigns in the coming months."

The OCI says it will be supporting Irish winter sports athletes through its Olympic scholarship programme.

This is expected see athletes qualify in the alpine skiing, snowboarding, and skeleton disciplines.

OCI Acting President Willie O'Brien praised Martin, who helped Great Britain to the men’s field hockey Olympic gold medal at Seoul 1988, four years after claiming bronze in Los Angeles.

"Winter sports are fortunate to have such an experienced and respected Olympian heading up Team Ireland," said O’Brien.

"The OCI’s strategic framework includes a strong focus on operational planning for both Summer and Winter Olympic Games and Stephen Martin has put in place the best possible support for winter sports athletes hoping to make the Team Ireland squad for Pyeongchang."

Martin, a former captain of both Ireland’s and Britain’s hockey teams, competed in three European Cups, played 229 international matches and competed in 10 Champions Trophy tournaments and three Olympic Games before being awarded a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to hockey in 1993.

He was among the OCI officials questioned by Brazilian police following the arrest of longstanding President Patrick Hickey in Rio de Janeiro in August as part of a probe into an alleged ticketing scandal.

Martin, secretary general Dermot Henihan and treasurer Kevin Kilty, the Chef de Mission for the Rio 2016 Games, had their travel documents seized by police during the investigation.

Their documents were handed back to them in September, allowing them to return to Ireland.

Elections for a new OCI President are scheduled to take place on February 9 in Dublin.

The vote will take place at a meeting of the body's ruling Council at the Conrad Hotel in Earlsfort Terrace in the capital city.

Hickey has held the role since 1988 and claimed to be the longest-serving National Olympic Committee President in the world.

He "temporarily self-suspended" himself from all sporting positions following his arrest and - with the official still in the process of leaving Brazil on bail - is not expected to return to the role anytime soon.

Hickey was charged with various ticketing offence by Brazilian authorities, which reportedly include criminal organisation, ticket touting, ambush marketing, larceny, money laundering and tax evasion.

The 71-year-old denies all the charges against him and earlier this week a judge in Brazil agreed to return his passport so he could leave the country for medical treatment.