Jessica Lochtenberg will become the first athlete to represent Malta in winter sports competitions, the Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) said in a statement this week.

The 15-year-old snowboarder will take part in the European Winter Youth Olympic Festival, to be held in Slask-Beskidi, Poland, in February.

MOC president Lino Farrugia Sacco and general secretary Joe Cassar met with Lochtenberg and her family at the MOC's offices in Tal-Qroqq this week. During the meeting, the MOC's top officials discussed Lochtenberg's participation in the youth festival which will take place between February 14 and 21.

Lochtenberg, who resides in Australia, is currently undergoing an intensive training programme in Utah in preparation for these games.

Around 1,600 athletes are expected to compete in the 2009 European Winter Youth Olympic Festival where nine disciplines will be contested.

Lochtenberg has entered two snowboarding events, snowcross and parallel slalom, both competitions to be staged in the skiing resort of Szczyrk GON.

The MOC statement said that president Farrugia Sacco congratulated Lochtenberg for her career achievements and augured that her first participation under Malta's flag will bring her and the country success.

In Poland, Lochtenberg will be accompanied by general secretary Cassar who will act as the chef-de-mission.

The MOC secretary thanked Lochtenberg and her family for their interest in this venture.

Cassar said he was confident that more Maltese athletes will join the Maltese Olympic Winter Sports movement in the near future with the aim of participating in the Vancouver Olympics as well as the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012.