The selection of Meyers Taylor and Greubel Poser has come as little surprise with the pair having been the nation’s two best drivers throughout the current quadrennial and started the current season as the top-ranked in the world.

Gibbs and Evans, however, have been chosen from what USA Bobsled and Skeleton describes as a "deep and talented pool" of brakewomen.

Briauna Jones will travel to Pyeongchang as the replacement athlete.

Noticeably absent from the team is Lolo Jones, a two-time Olympian in track and field and Sochi 2014 Olympic bobsledder, who pushed Meyers Taylor to World Cup gold in St Moritz in Switzerland yesterday.

Kehri Jones, who pushed Meyers Taylor to the 2017 world title, has also missed out.

The US is the only nation to medal in women’s bobsleigh at every Olympics since its debut at Salt Lake City 2002.

But the country has just one gold to its name, courtesy of Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers' two-woman victory 16 years ago.

Meyers Taylor and Greubel Poser will be hoping to end that drought at Pyeongchang 2018.

"The women’s team has been stacked with outstanding talent for the last three Olympic cycles and this year is no exception," USA Bobsled and Skeleton chief executive Darrin Steele said.

"Six push athletes have been battling it out week after week and winning medals on the World Cup circuit this year, but we only have two spots for the Games.

"We don’t take this decision light-heartedly.

"The Selection Committee chose the athletes they think have the best chance of bringing home hardware from Korea for Team USA.

"I wish we could take the entire team with us because they’ve all proven how hard-working and determined they are in addition to being incredibly talented."

Meyers Taylor, the reigning world champion and a two-time Olympic medallist, started the season as the world’s number one driver and is now in second spot behind Canada’s two-time Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries.

The 33-year-old will become the first woman to represent the US in bobsleigh at three Winter Olympics and will be looking to add gold to the silver she won at Sochi 2014 and the bronze she earned as a brakewoman at Vancouver 2010.

She has won one gold, three silver and two bronze World Cup medals this season.

Greubel Poser, 34, won the bronze medal at Sochi 2014 and also rounded out the podium at the 2017 World Championships.  

She is currently ranked third in the world behind Humphries after a home win in Park City and a pair of silver medals on the World Cup circuit this season.

Gibbs left her sales job to try out for the Olympic team four years ago.

This season she has medalled with both Meyers Taylor - silver in Lake Placid in the US and German town Winterberg - and Greubel Poser - gold in Park City.

The 33-year-old, who will make her Olympic debut at Pyeongchang 2018, has 11 career World Cup medals and also won bronze at the 2016 World Championships with Meyers Taylor.

Evans was in the sled with Greubel Poser for their second-place finish in Altenberg in Germany earlier this month, as well as both her Olympic and world bronze medals.

She took a break from the sport after winning Olympic bronze at Sochi 2014, but returned for the 2016-2017 season and has since won seven medals on the World Cup circuit. 

The 29-year-old has 14 World Cup medals in total.

The US had been hoping to qualify three sleds, but narrowly missed out on doing so in St Moritz yesterday. 

Brittany Reinbolt needed to finish higher than the third Canadian team, led by Christine de Bruin. 

But she ended up in 15th spot, one place behind De Bruin.