Shelley Rudman has been crowned women's skeleton world champion in St Moritz after completing four dominant runs to claim victory by over half a second from American Noelle Pikus-Pace.
Rudman took a huge one-second advantage into Friday's final two runs and although she was reeled in slightly by the USA silver medallist, she held on for a victory margin of 0.57 seconds.
Great Britain team-mate Lizzy Yarnold finished fourth behind Canadian Sarah Reid.
Rudman, the 2006 Olympic silver medallist, had won a World Cup race in Winterberg in December and her latest success will boost hopes of going one better at next year's Sochi Olympics.
Rudman said: "I'm so happy because this was the one medal in my sport I hadn't won. I always set goals and the world title was always my number one priority this year.
"I had quite a good cushion going into my final two runs but I am experienced enough to know it was nowhere near over. I spent all last night knowing just one mistake could put me out of the medals."