New Zealand has named four freeski competitors for the Lausanne 2020 Games ©NZOC

New Zealand has named four freeski athletes for the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne.

Ben Barclay, Luca Harrington, Max McDonald and Ruby Andrews will compete at the Games due to take place from January 9 to 22 in Switzerland and neighbouring France.

Barclay, 17, said: "I've always loved skiing.

"The freedom of being able to take your own route and add your own twist through your style, it's such a fun sport to do.

"It's always been a dream of mine to represent New Zealand."

Andrews, 14, has already won a Junior World Championship freeski halfpipe medal.

A total of 11 New Zealand athletes competed at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, of whom four went on to compete at Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images
A total of 11 New Zealand athletes competed at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, of whom four went on to compete at Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images

"The feeling you get when you land a new trick or do well in a competition is amazing, there's nothing else that gives me that feeling," Andrews, currently with the Snow Sports NZ high performance team in Europe, said.

Kereyn Smith, chief executive of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, added: "Well done to these athletes for all the work you've put in to make it to this point.

"We look forward to watching you compete in Europe in January."

Around 20 New Zealand athletes are expected to compete at Lausanne 2020.

A total of 11 athletes from the country competed at the previous Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, four of whom went on to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang .