Gert Van Looy is the Chef de Mission for the Belgian team ©BOC

The Belgian Olympic Committee (BOC) has selected nine athletes for the Winter Youth Olympic Games which will be held in Lillehammer next month.

Alpine skiers Sam Maes and Kim Vanreusel, biathlete Tim De Ridder and cross-country skier Thibaut De Marre have all been selected for action in the Norwegian town.

They will be joined by ski-cross competitor Xander Vercammen, short track speed skater Stijn Desmet and snowboarders Stef Vandeweyer and Manon Suffys.

Completing the team is Chinook Van Calster, who will compete in the individual ice hockey skills challenge.

Dries Van Den Broecke won silver for Belgium in Innsbruck in 2012
Dries Van Den Broecke won silver for Belgium in Innsbruck in 2012 ©Getty Images

Gert Van Looy is Chef de Mission for the team, and will also take on the role at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.

He will be assisted in Lillehammer by Nicky Van Rossem, who will take on the role of "Young Ambassador".

Belgium sent seven athletes to the last edition of the Winter Youth Olympics, which were held in Innsbruck in Austria in 2012.

They won a single medal at the inaugural edition of the event, which came courtesy of skier Dries Van Den Broecke who took silver in the slalom.

The Games in Lillehammer will be held between February 12 and 21.