Former riders win Olympic medals on ice

FORMER riders Lizzy Yarnold and Laura Deas won two medals with standout performances at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Lizzy, 29, became Britain’s first Winter Olympian to retain her title, winning skeleton gold in PyeongChang on 17 February.

Laura, who previously evented up to CCI2* level, took bronze.

“I believed I could do my best but it’s something scary to think that far ahead, that I could be a double Olympic champion — I didn’t really let myself say that,” said Lizzy. “I love big occasions like this, I love stiff competition and pressure. And I love being at the top and thinking ‘this is it, it’s the time to deliver. I can do this.’”

Lizzy was a keen rider and heptathlete before she signed up to the UK Sport Girls4Gold talent scheme. Laura, who also went through the scheme, has admitted she was not keen at first, but “reluctantly went along”.

The medals hung in the balance until the last racer; Germany’s Janine Flock was in the lead before the final run, but could not better Lizzy’s blistering track record and dropped to fourth.

“I thought ‘this must be a mistake’, someone is going to tap me on the shoulder and say ‘sorry’,” said Laura after her medal-winning Olympic debut.

“I’ve worked so hard for this for the past nine years.”