Yarnold is up to speed again after ‘jumping off’ 100mph sled

Skeleton racer ready to regain world title having taken year off to recharge batteries. By Matt Majendie

THERE was a time Lizzy Yarnold looked invincible in the skeleton. During her past two seasons, she won more than half the

World Cup races and at the

2014 Winter Olympics she sealed gold by a second in a sport where the title is often decided by hundredths of seconds — tellingly, just 0.1sec separated second to fourth in Sochi.

Her dominance dissipated after her return in the autumn following a season-long break but there is one notable difference now she’s back travelling on sheet ice at 90mph.

“Every time I slide, I enjoy the moment,” she says. “I’m as driven as before, I’m just enjoying it more.”

While Yarnold, 28, may well have been sliding her way to glory, increasingly the former heptathlete was feeling jaded, leading her miss the 2015-16 campaign. That decision meant she did not defend her World Championship title last year — but tomorrow she is looking to regain that crown in Germany.

“I genuinely couldn’t have carried on without a break,” says the 2015 champion. “I was just so mentally and physically exhausted.

“It got to a point where I couldn’t bring myself to do it any more. It was good just to think more generally, not just day to day on training, eating, sleeping, recovery. It’s like a treadmill at 100mph and there’s just no time to reflect.

“So I enjoyed the chance to reflect, do different things. I could experience a British winter, see family and friends and Christmas, to have Valentine’s Day, for example.”

Her most celebrated Valentine’s Day will remain the February 14 when she won Olympic gold. For the big day this year, Yarnold, who married engineer James Roche last May during her break from the sport, spent the occasion 4,000 miles apart.

After his work with the British Winter Olympic team, via McLaren Applied Technologies, Roche — who helped design Yarnold’s golden sled — was headhunted by Ben Ainslie to be a key member of his design team in Great Britain’s bid to win the America’s Cup.

The couple Skype each other in vastly different climates and hence attire: Yarnold wrapped up in winter gear in minus-20 degrees, Roche in summer wear in temperatures over 20 degrees.

She says: “I popped over to see him after the Lake Placid race — and that was quite a change in temperature! In some ways it’s a test but we both have similar goals: his the America’s Cup, mine longer-term the Olympics. So you have good days and bad days.”

Lake Placid was a key moment for Yarnold on her return.

Having finished fourth at the season opener at the start of December, she broke the previous course record in the United States, despite being edged into second.

Tellingly, it was the team selection meeting in Lillehammer in October that she sees as the turning point of her comeback.

“It’s funny but I had the same nervous emotions of my first ever time on