Lizzy Yarnold marked exactly a year from the Sochi Winter Olympics starting by once again climbing the top step of the podium – this time claiming World Cup gold in Igls.
Yarnold stormed to Olympic gold last year in Russia, but looked to be in trouble this time around in Austria after a difficult first run left the 26-year-old down in fourth.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom though as Yarnold’s fellow Brit Laura Deas sat third, while Rose McGrandle was also in the mix in seventh.
However, Yarnold wasn’t about to give up without a fight and she posted the fastest second run with a time of 54.56 seconds to leap to the top of the leaderboard with three sliders still to go.
Deas missed the chance to go above Yarnold, slipping out of medal contention with a sixth-place finish, while McGrandle was two places further back.
But both Janine Flock and Elisabeth Vathje also failed to leapfrog the Olympic champion as they finished second and third respectively, meaning it was World Cup gold for Yarnold.
She now sits third in the overall World Cup standings – now led by Flock – and the reigning World Cup champion admitted she had teammates Deas and McGrandle to thank for keeping her going in Igls.
“I was quite tired going into the second run, it’s our fifth consecutive week away competing so it was a little bit of an endurance race,” she said.
“I have to give a special shout out to my British teammates Laura and Rose. They are great, even if I am feeling tired, they make me keep going and do better.”
© Sportsbeat 2015