Latvia has selected three athletes to compete in the women's monobob discipline ©IBSF

Latvian BMX riders Vineta Pētersone and Vanesa Buldinska and javelin thrower Katrina Sirma have been selected to represent the country in women's monobob.

The Latvian Bobsleigh Federation confirmed the trio had been chosen to compete in the discipline, added to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games programme earlier this year.

They will work with head coach Sandis Prusis to develop their skills in the sport, the organisation added.

The move comes as a surprise as Pētersone is a World Championships medallist in BMX, taking bronze in the junior event in the United States last year.

Buldinska has also enjoyed success in BMX, winning junior bronze at the 2017 European Championships in France.

Sirma, who has a personal best of 55.87 metres, is also set to make the switch.

Women's monobob - one-person bobsleigh - will be a medal event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games ©Getty Images
Women's monobob - one-person bobsleigh - will be a medal event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games ©Getty Images

"All three have already achieved something in their sports," said Prusis.

"In bobsleigh, they have to learn and prove everything from scratch."

Monobob was added as a new discipline for Beijing 2022 by the International Olympic Committee Executive Board in July.

It came despite the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation Executive Committee voting in favour of including four-woman bobsleigh rather than monobob - one person bobsleigh - which President Ivo Ferriani was thought to prefer, earlier this year.

"I really knew nothing about women's bobsleigh," Pētersone said.

“But it’s a joy and from BMX I have a lot of athletics and strength."