Austria eyes good performance at Beijing Winter Olympics

VIENNA - A delegation of 106 Austrian athletes will head to Beijing for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are looking to shine on Beijing's ice and snow.

A ceremony was held here Wednesday by the Austrian government to send off the athletes.

Karl Stoss, president of the Austrian Olympic Committee, said at the ceremony that "the cards are very, very good" for Austria at the Beijing Olympics, citing the athletes' good performances in the past winter season.

The star-studded Austrian team includes Olympic champions including alpine skier Matthias Mayer, snowboarder Anna Gasser and luger David Gleirscher.

Earlier this week, Stoss told media that he expects the Austrian delegation to "come home highly decorated," setting the medal target between PyeongChang's 14 medals and Sochi's 17 medals.

The first group of Austrian Olympic athletes will depart for Beijing this Friday.