Sochi 2014: 10 worldwide medal hopefuls for the Winter Olympics

BBC Sport profiles the leading global athletes expected to star at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Alpine Skiing

Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) - full profile: Still only a teenager but already a world champion, Mikaela Shiffrin could be one of the stars of Sochi 2014.

Bobsleigh

Kaillie Humphries (Canada) - full profile: Reigning Olympic and world champion Humphries once considered switching allegiance to Great Britain, and her training routine includes pushing cars.

Cross-country skiing

Marit Bjoergen (Norway) - full profile: The 33-year-old is a 12-time world champion and won five Olympic medals in 2010, but her unrivalled success in Vancouver was soured by allegations of cheating.

Figure skating

Yuna Kim (South Korea) - full profile: A superstar in her own country, she is looking to end her glittering career at the age of 23 by retaining the Olympic figure skating title.

Ice hockey

Alex Ovechkin (Russia) - full profile: An NHL superstar famed for partying as hard as he plays, the Russian hopes to inspire his country to ice hockey gold.

Luge

Felix Loch (Germany) - full profile: Olympic and world champion Loch is the son of a Winter Olympian and will be the man to beat in Sochi.

Ski jumping

Sara Takanashi (Japan) - full profile: The schoolgirl will start as favourite for gold when women's ski jumping makes its Olympic debut in Sochi.

Snowboard

Lindsey Jacobellis (USA) - full profile: The American will head to Sochi still searching for redemption in the snowboard cross after her infamous crash at the 2006 Winter Games.

Shaun White (USA) - full profile: The Flying Tomato has lost his trademark locks but none of his snowboarding skills - he's bidding for a third consecutive halfpipe gold.

Speed skating

Sven Kramer (Netherlands) - full profile: Kramer is one of the greatest ever speed skaters but the multiple world champion and world record holder has so far flattered to deceive at the Winter Olympics.

Profiles researched and written by Sophie Brown, Tom McCoy and Tom Reynolds.

Take a look at 10 British medal hopes.