Elise Christie admitted all the hard work in overcoming an ankle injury was worth it after she took her maiden 500m World Cup victory in Toronto.
Christie saw her preparations for the new season hit in August after a teammate collided with her in pre-season training, leaving the 25-year-old needing to undergo intensive treatment on her ankle.
She was in action at the season-opening World Cup in Montreal last week and showed promising signs before crashing in the 500m final and eventually finishing fourth.
However the Sochi 2014 Olympian was back to her best on Saturday, posting a time of 44.670 seconds to beat European champion Lara van Ruijven and Olympic silver medallist Fan Kexin into second and third respectively.
Christie could have the chance to go for more silverware in her favoured 1000m, having reached Sunday’s quarter-finals, and she was quick to pay tribute to all those who had helped her get back to form on the ice.
“I’m super happy and super shocked,” Christie tweeted.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me and helped me get back for this!!!”
Sportsbeat 2015