Tudhope - who turned 14 in December - is part of a team of 11 named for the Games, which are due to open on March 7. 

The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) picked Tudhope as one of three snowboarders, a sport making its Paralympic debut in Sochi, alongside six Alpine skiers and two sighted guides.

Tudhope, born with cerebral palsy that has caused a partial paralysis of the left side of his body, has been given a wildcard and will take his place alongside two other Australians, 41-year-old Trent Milton and Joany Badenhorst, 19.

"It might be a bit soon to expect medals from our three snowboarders given how new the sport is to the Paralympic Winter Games, but that said, they won't be in Sochi just to make up the numbers either," said Chris Nunn, Australia's Chef de Mission.

"Trent has a lifetime of snowboarding behind him before acquiring his disability, young Ben has grown up on the snow and Joany has a strong athletics background which is translating well across to winter sport."

In contrast to Tudhope, veteran Alpine skier Cameron Rahles-Rahbula will contest his fourth and final Games on the back of his two Vancouver bronze medals in slalom and super-combined, having retired from the sport last September only to return in time for Sochi 2014.

"It's definitely a different scenario for me," Rahles-Rahbula said.

"I won't have the preparation I would usually have, but that's sort of a bonus because I'm not putting any great expectations on where I am."

Cameron Rahles-Rahbula will be making his fourth appearance at the Paralympics, having made his debut at Salt Lake City in 2002 ©Getty Images

Rahles-Rahbula will be joined by two-time Paralympian Toby Kane, 27, who as a 19-year-old was the youngest team member when he won bronze in the super G at Turin 2006.

Vancouver Paralympian and current giant slalom world number, Mitchell Gourley, 22, will provide the pair with stiff competition in the men's standing class.

Vancouver 2010 slalom bronze medallist Jessica Gallagher and Melissa Perrine enter the women's vision-impaired class in formidable form, both winning multiple International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Cup golds this year.

Australia's first female sit-skier, newcomer Tori Pendergast, will round off the squad's largest-ever female contingent.

"All of them [Alpine skiers] except for Victoria [Pendergast] have been to a Paralympic Games before, all of them have won medals over the last two World Cup seasons and all of them are medal contenders in Sochi," said Nunn.

It will cost the APC $1.4 million (£860,000/€1 million) to send the team to Sochi, with $200,000 (£123,000/€148,000) of the budget still outstanding, which they are hoping will be raised through public donations.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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