Chesterman's appointment follows the success of Australia's team at Sochi 2014 where they won three medals - two silver and a bronze - and ensures continuity. 

The 55-year-old Chesterman first led Australia's team at Nagano 1998 where they won their first ever medal in the Winter Olympics, Zali Steggall claiming a bronze in the women's slalom. 

Four years later, at Salt Lake City, the team won its first-ever gold medals with Steven Bradbury winning the 1,000 metres short track speed skating and Alisa Camplin in women's aerials. 

At Turin 2006 they won a gold and bronze medal and at Vancouver 2010 they achieved their best-ever performance in the Winter Olympics with three medals, including gold for snowboarder Torah Bright in the halfpipe and Lydia Lassila in the aerials. 

Short track speed skater Steven Bradbury won Australia's first ever gold medal in the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City 2002 ©Popperfoto/Getty Images

"It's an enormous honour to be appointed to lead the Australian team to Pyeongchang in 2018," said Chesterman, who had also been Australia's Deputy Chef de Mission at Lillehammer 1994. 

"I look back to the first time I was Chef e Mission in 1998 and I see the enormous progress made by our Australian winter sport athletes over that time, and how we now go to an Olympic Winter Games as a highly respected winter sport nation.

"I'm very confident that we will take our strongest team ever to Korea in 2018.

'We had a number of young athletes come very close to the podium in Sochi.