GIRL POWER: UK’S DAY OF MEDAL GLORY
Yarnold takes gold and Deas bronze on GB’s Super Saturday
ON a quite super Saturday, dizzy Lizzy Yarnold became the first athlete from this country to retain a Winter Olympics gold medal and she was joined on that podium by Laura Deas. Make no bones about it, Britain are half-decent at this skeleton game.
It was a staggering pair of performances, and came just hours after Izzy Atkin took slopestyle skiing bronze, setting up Britain’s most profitable day at a Winter Olympics since February 3, 1924.
Stunning, really, and particularly from Yarnold, who went from third to second on the final day and then broke the track record in her last run to snatch the title.
Fine drama, and made all the more remarkable by her revelation in the tearful frenzy that followed that she so nearly withdrew with illness after the first round.
It had been obvious at the time that she was in some discomfort, given that she needed assistance in staggering away from her sled. But Yarnold painted a far more vivid picture of t he problem yesterday, saying: ‘I was almost at the point of pulling out. I had a chest infection and it was stopping me from breathing. I just tried to get the second run down and then fight another day.
‘If it wasn’t for my physio, Louise Turner, telling me to go down again, I’m not sure I would be here. I was dizzy, I couldn’t breathe. I have no idea what happened — I’ve been ill for a week. Athletes are people too.’
But not all people can be athletes like Yarnold. She, like all of those in Britain’s excellent skeleton team, has drawn sideways glances over the advantages garnered by their controversial skinsuits and sleds, and there is an interesting ethical debate to be had over where to set the limit on technology. Equally, the 29- year- old’s latest gold medal owes just as much to her own perseverance.
She has struggled badly throughout the season and was ranked only ninth in the 2017-18 World Cup campaign, with the further complication of a diagnosis for a vestibular disorder that leaves her feeling disorientated at speed.
Hardly i deal for a skeleton athlete and also a rumoured factor in her problems at the end of that first run. But she fought back from those issues, just as she fought back from a slowish second run on Friday, to steal a wonderful victory.
‘ Now I’m going to sleep for weeks,’ she said. ‘The emotions right now are gratitude to the whole team to get here, and relief, and exhaustion. And l ot s of crying.’
The relief will certainly come from how this competition was decided. Yarnold’s brilliant final run of 51.46sec had put her a full 0.45secs clear of Jacqueline Loelling in the cumulative standings with only Janine Flock to go. But Flock has twice been European champion as well as winning world silver, and stepped on to her mark having led after three rounds. She was capable of ruining everything.
Except she didn’t, and a poor final run saw her fall all the way to fourth, allowing Deas on to the podium as part of the bargain.
Yarnold said: ‘I dreamt a couple of nights ago that we were both on the podium together, but I was too worried to tell her that I’d foreseen it. I’m just overwhelmed.
‘When I had seen that she could potentially be in fourth, I just went and said, “Breathe deeply and just believe in yourself”. I’m so happy. We will be on each other’ s mantelpieces forever more.’
Theirs has been a friendship built over their rivalry.
Deas said: ‘I am privileged to train alongside her and count her as one of my best friends. To know that I am going to share an Olympic podium with one of my best friends is just incredible.
‘ I can’t believe I am part of a Super Saturday, I never thought I’d be saying that. I’m just extremely proud to be part of an historic day.
‘I thought ,“This must be a mistake, someone is going to tap me on the shoulder and say sorry”. But I have worked so hard for this for the past nine years.’ Deas
becomes part of a success tale that has seen Britain produce a women’s medallist in every edition of the skeleton since it was reintroduced to the Winter Olympics in 2002.
The wider strength of the skeleton team had been demonstrated by Dom Parsons taking bronze in the men’s event on Friday, and now Team GB as a whole have equalled their best ever Games tally of four medals. Amazing what a difference of a few days can make after the disappointments of the first week. Dizzying, really.