Winter forecast is for a gold front to sweep in

Australia is on track for a record medal return in PyeongChang next year.

Mogul skiier Britt Cox secured a world title in March Picture: Nicki Connolly.

Australia has never won more than three medals at a Winter Olympics but is on track for a record return in PyeongChang next year, according to the Australian Olympic Committee’s latest benchmark study.

Based on results in the past year, the Australian team is tracking towards a tally of five medals in South Korea next February and a place in the top 15 on the medal table.

Moguls skier Britt Cox and snowboarder Scotty James, who both won world titles in March, are regarded as the gold medal contenders and aerial skiers Danielle Scott and David Morris and snowboard cross specialist Alex “Chumpy’’ Pullin are proven medal winners after podium appearances at their respective world titles this year.

The Australian ski and snowboard team is coming off its best international season, claiming five world championships medals and 35 World Cup medals.

Olympic Winter Institute boss Geoff Lipshut said the key to turning predictions into reality would be keeping contenders healthy in sports that have a high risk of injury.

“I think two to three medals is usually where we are (at the Olympics),’’ Lipshut said.

“If everyone has a good day on the right day it will be more than that but we would need a lot of things to go right for that to happen.

“It doesn’t always translate through from year three (of the Olympiad) to year four (Games year) because a lot of it is about risk and injury and some people can make a big jump in that period in some sports.

“We’ve benefited from that before with Dale Begg-Smith (2006 moguls gold medallist) and Alisa Camplin (2002 aerials gold medallist), so you can have those shifts and we hope they go our way.’’

Lipshut said two other athletes who have shown a proven capacity to win medals, 2012 Olympic champion Lydia Lassila, and female snowboard cross specialist Belle Brockhoff, were not considered in the AOC’s calculations because they did not perform at the world titles.

“If Belle had been at the world titles we could have had a sixth medal there and I think she can get back and be a medal contender again next year,’’ Lipshut said. “And Lydia’s always had a world championships hoodoo but we don’t mind that because she also has two Olympic medals.’’

The danger for Cox shapes as Frenchwoman Perrine Laffont, a fast-rising teenager who finished second to the Australian at the world titles.

But Lipshut is certain Cox will “work her backside off’’ to retain her advantage in the Olympic season.

Cox and James will both be attending their third Olympics after making their debuts at 15 at the 2012 Vancouver Games. That wise investment in the future appears about to pay dividends.

Lipshut said re-elected AOC president John Coates had the foresight to back their inclusion eight years ago.

“That was huge for those athletes and it was very much a John Coates move,’’ he said.

“He gave them a chance when a lot of other countries wouldn’t have and those countries don’t have a Scotty and Britt now.’’

The winter sports were solidly behind Coates in Saturday’s election for the AOC presidency.

Youngsters likely to leap into next year’s Olympic team include 19-year-old snowboarder Adam Lambert (sixth at his first world titles this year) and 16-year-old freestyle skier Tess Coady (the world junior champion in slopestyle and big air).