Lewis-Francis took up the sport four months ago with the aim of competing at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.
He won 4x100m relay gold at the 2004 Summer Games.
GB performance director Gary Anderson said it was a "tough call" to leave the 33-year-old out.
Instead, Britain have gone for a mixture of youth and experience in their squad.
Lamin Deen, fifth in the World Championships in Winterberg last time out, pilots GB1 in the four-man alongside John Baines, Joel Fearon and Andy Matthews.
Double Olympian John Jackson pilots GB2 with Bruce Tasker, Ben Simons and new recruit Tremayne Gilling.
Winter Youth Olympics silver medallist Mica McNeil leads the British challenge in the women's competition alongside Natalie DeRatt.
The World Championships take place on 12-21 February.
World Championship squad
GB1 4-man: Lamin Deen, John Baines, Joel Fearon, Andy Matthews
GB2 4-man: John Jackson, Bruce Tasker, Ben Simons, Tremayne Gilling
GB1 2-man: Bruce Tasker and Tremayne Gilling
GB2 2-man: Brad Hall and Ben Simons or Ben Simons and John Baines
Women's: Mica McNeil and Natalie DeRatt

The Hammers were last week accused of sex discrimination by Stephen Hunt, chairman of the ladies' club.
West Ham said they will now work in unison with the ladies' team to ensure key improvements are made.
Vice-chairman Karren Brady said the Premier League club are "passionately committed to equality".
She added women's football was a "high priority on our agenda".
Hunt had told BBC Sport West Ham should "start to act like a 21st century club" and claimed they had stopped his team from finding sponsors, adding the ladies were short on funds because they had to buy their own kit.
In response, West Ham claimed Hunt had "refused to align" with their principles.
The ladies' team, who this season celebrate their 25th anniversary, play in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division.
Brady added: "The addition of the ladies into the West Ham family is the solution my board and I have long sought.
"Not only does it secure the long-term future of the ladies' side, but also guarantees current and future supporters, players and staff of the ladies' team will form an integral part of the club's bright future as we move forward."
As part of the agreement, the West Ham Ladies' Academy will also be managed by the Premier League club.

The Gills, who finished 20th in League One last season, have signed eight players so far this summer.
But having started the season with a 0-0 draw to Doncaster and a 2-0 loss to Reading, Pennock wants more recruits.
"They've got to be the right players, the right characters and more importantly they've got to be good players," Pennock, 46, said.
"Everybody is pulling together in the right direction - it's a good changing room and if we can add two or three more I'll be very happy."
Although the club are still on the lookout for new additions, Pennock is pleased with those who have already arrived.
Gillingham have brought in defenders Gabriel Zakuani, Luke O'Neill, Connor Ogilvie and Alex Lacey, strikers Liam Nash, Conor Wilkinson and Tom Eaves and midfielder Billy Bingham.
"Overall, I'm happy with every single one of them - all of the new lads who have come in have contributed to what we've done, they've been absolutely first-class," Pennock told BBC Radio Kent.
"I think it's pushed the others on who were here last year as well. The whole club at the moment is in a good place."
Olympic sprinting gold medallist Mark Lewis-Francis has been named on standby for Great Britain's provisional bobsleigh squad for next month's World Championships in Austria.
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West Ham United have taken over the running of the ladies' club, saying they are "delighted" to bring it into "the West Ham family".
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Gillingham are looking to add "two or three" more players to their squad, according to manager Ady Pennock.