Winter Olympics: Chemmy Alcott vows cruel break will not end Sochi dream

Chemmy Alcott now has a race against time to be ready for Sochi (Getty Images)

Chemmy Alcott's preparations for next year's Sochi Winter Olympics have suffered a blow after the British skier broke her leg again. But she dismissed it as "a little whoopsie" and said she was already putting weight on it and would be fit in time for the Winter Games in February.

The 31-year-old, who fractured her right leg in 2010, will miss the first few races of this season in order to recover. "Slight setback in my Sochi prep as the last day of a fabulous camp where I was skiing technically stronger than ever, I had a little whoopsie," she said on Facebook. "Rebroken my leg. Clean, easy break already weight bearing."

Alcott had been training with the Norwegian team, having had her funding cut by UK Sport after the last Olympics. She finished 11th in the downhill at Torino 2006 – the best result by a British female skier since 1968 – before matching that result in the super combined event in 2010. But having set her sights on a top 10 finish in Russia, Alcott is remaining positive.

"Medical opinion is I will miss first races but will be good to go full speed ahead after," she added. "Unfortunate setback but I am used to the adversity, just another chapter before the Hollywood finish in Sochi!!"

Meanwhile, Eve Muirhead and her women's curling world champions have become the first athletes to be confirmed to represent Great Britain in Sochi.

Muirhead claimed a thrilling final-stone victory over Sweden in Riga in March to win her first senior world title alongside Claire Hamilton, Anna Sloan and Vicki Adams.

The 23-year-old made her Olympic debut when she skipped Great Britain at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver but the team failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

"This will be my second Olympics and I'm excited," said Muirhead. "Having won the worlds this year, we want to continue our winning streak. It's not often we get to compete as Team GB and, as proud as we are to compete for Scotland, it's great to be part of a British team too."

Muirhead will try to emulate the British women's head coach Rhona Howie, who as Rhona Martin won a gold medal by beating Switzerland in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Howie said: "Competing at an Olympics is the highlight of any athlete's career and I'd like to congratulate each of the girls on their selection. They're a talented team and they all richly deserve their places on the flight to Sochi."