Winter Olympics 2014: Great Britain name biathlon entrants

Lee Jackson and Amanda Lightfoot have been named as Great Britain's biathlon entrants for the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Jackson, 33, will be appearing at his second successive Games, while 26-year-old Lightfoot will be making her debut.

"I'm overwhelmed," said Lightfoot, who will be only the second British female biathlete to compete at a Winter Games.

With the curling,figure skating and short-track teams confirmed, Britain have selected 23 of their squad for the Games, which open on 7 February.

The two biathletes will enter their respective sprint and individual competitions, with their results determining whether they qualify for the pursuit races.

Jackson, a biathlete for 15 years, said: "I am delighted to have been selected. Having missed out on selection for the Turin Winter Olympics, Vancouver taught me how to deal with the pressure in the build-up to the Games and I feel better prepared now."

Both competitors have an army background, with Coventry-born Lightfoot serving in the Adjutant General's Corps and Stockton-on-Tees' Jackson in 16 Regiment Royal Artillery.

Funding for Britain's biathlon team is under threat due to armed forces cuts, with the British Biathlon Union (BBU) requiring a fresh injection of £50,000 per year.

In November, the BBU briefed its members that under existing financial pressures, the governing body cannot function in its current form beyond the 2013-14 financial year.

Great Britain have competed in the biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and shooting, at every Winter Games since the sport's introduction in Squaw Valley in 1960.