The trio both struck gold at Pyeonchang 2018, with Huskova winning the women’s aerials title and Leshchanka and Alimbekava part of Belarus’ victorious women’s biathlon relay team.

World bronze medallist Hanna Sola and sisters Irina and Elena Kruchinkina join Leshchanka and Alimbekava in the 10-strong biathlon squad.

The team also features Maksim Varabei, Mikita Labastau, Dzmitry Lazouski, Raman Yaliotnau and Anton Smolski, ranked seventh in the men’s overall International Biathlon Union World Cup standings.

Huskova headlines a freestyle skiing team that also comprises of Hanna Dziaruha, Stanislau Hladchanka, Maksim Hustik, Pavel Dzik and Makar Mitrafanau.

Maria Shkanova, a four-time medallist at the Winter Universiade, is Belarus’ sole representative in Alpine skiing, while figure skaters Victoriia Safonova and Konstantin Milyukov have also been selected after they switched allegiances from Russia in 2019.

Anastasia Kirillova, Hanna Karaliova, Alexander Voronov and Yahor Shpuntau have been chosen to represent Belarus in cross-country skiing with Ignat Golovatsiuk, Maryna Zuyeva, Ekaterina Sloeva, Anna Nifontova and Yauheniya Varabyova picked to compete in speed skating.

There were reports last week that cross-country skiers Sviatlana Andryiuk and Darya Dolidovich had been barred from competing in international events.

Andryiuk and Dolidovich claim that Aliaksandr Darakhovich, head of the Belarus Cross-Country Skiing Federation, told officials in November not to let them compete at global competitions.

They appear to be the latest victims of a Government crackdown on opponents to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, which led to the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (NOCRB) being placed under provisional measures by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The NOCRB has been hit with several sanctions by the IOC after failing to protect athletes who had protested against Lukashenko, who headed the organisation until being replaced by his son Viktor last year.

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya defected to Poland after team officials tried to forcibly send her home from the re-arranged 2020 Olympics in Tokyo last year against her will following her public criticism of her coaches.

Police in Belarus in November also detained 2019 world freestyle skiing champion Aliaksandra Ramanouskaya for violating anti-protest laws.

Ramanouskaya signed a letter along with more than 2,000 athletes, coaches and sports personnel which claims the Presidential election - widely dismissed as neither free nor fair - was rigged.

The make-up of the team for Beijing 2022 was approved at the NOCRB’s Executive Board. Aleksandr Gagiev, director of the National Winter Olympic Training Center Raubichi, was confirmed as Belarus’ Chef de Mission for the Games.

Gagiev held the role at Rio 2016 and was deputy Chef de Mission at the 2015 European Games in Baku.

Belarusian Deputy Sport and Tourism Minister Aleksandr Baraulya reported on the final stage of the preparations for Beijing 2022.

Having failed to win a gold medal in their first four appearances at the Winter Olympics, following the break-up of the Soviet Union, at Lillehammer 1994, Belarus has won eight in the last three.

Their best performance was at Sochi 2014 where they finished eighth in the overall medals table with five gold and a silver.

Besides the two gold medals they won at Pyeongchang 2018, Belarus also won a silver thanks to Darya Domracheva in the women's mass start biathlon event.

It consolidated Domracheva's position as Belarus' most successful Olympic athlete.

She was also a member of the winning relay team in the South Korean resort, having won three gold medals at Sochi 2014 and a bronze at Vancouver 2010.

Domracheva retired following Pyeongchang 2018 and the following year, she along with her husband, Norway's eight-time Olympic gold medallist Ole Einar Björndalen, were appointed as biathlon coaches for the Chinese team preparing for Beijing 2022.