Great Britain Women and GB U18 will both travel to Korea next year for their respective World Championship tournaments.

Korea put in a bid to host both competitions in Gangneung as a taster event ahead of hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The decision was deferred by the IIHF at Congress in Moscow earlier this year, but it was approved at the Semi-Annual Congress in Paris on Thursday.

Both tournaments will run from 2nd to 8th April 2017.

GB Women will go head-to-head with hosts Korea, as well as Australia, DPR Korea, Netherlands and Slovenia in Division 2A.

In addition to facing Korea, GB U18 will come up against Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania, also in Division 2A.

Ice Hockey UK general secretary, Andy French, said: “It’s quite exciting for two of our teams to be going to Korea.

“Korea were very keen to hold both events in tandem as a way of getting ready for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“It is sure to be a memorable week with two of our GB teams in one place.”

(Image permission: IceHockeyMedia)