The 2018 junior world champion has Czech roots and has decided to represent that country rather than Germany.

As a German athlete, Fernstädt won the 2013-2014 overall International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) Europe Cup, finished fourth in the 2017 World Championships and placed sixth at the in the Olympic Games at Pyeongchang 2018.

She was also a member of the German team that won a World Championships bronze medal in the mixed team event at Königssee in 2017. 

The 21-year-old will now compete in the 2018 Europe Cup and Intercontinental Cup for the Czech Republic. 

Alongside Fernstädt, the Czech Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation have announced their athletes to compete this season.

Dominik Dvořák, Jakub Nosek and Jan Šindelář have been named for the two-man bobsleigh at the 2018 World Cup and North American Cup, while Dvořák, Dominik Suchý, Šindelář, Nosek and Kopřiva will compete in the four-man bobsleigh.

Dobeš Adam, Pavel Jordán, Jakub Havlín, Michal Dobeš, Lukáš Podstata will compete in the men's bobsleigh at the Europe Cup.

Timon Drahoňovský will compete in the men's skeleton at the Europe Cup.

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) Intercontinental Cup is due to start in Innsbruck on November 14 and 15.

It will be followed by the IBSF Europe Cup at the same venue on November 16 and 17.