Lizzy Yarnold says defending Olympic skeleton gold medal was '˜overwhelming'

Great Britain's Lizzy Yarnold, from Shedfield, celebrates winning gold in the Women's Skeleton in PyeongChang. Picture: David Davies/PA Wire.

The 29-year-old, who lives in Shedfield, defended her skeleton gold medal in Pyeongchang today.

An emotional Yarnold, who clocked a track record of 51.46 seconds, revealed she overcame dizzy spells and a bad cold to succeed.

She said: ‘I’m overwhelmed and exhausted. I don’t really know how it happened.

‘After the first run I wasn’t sure whether I was going to be able to finish the race because my chest infection was so bad I was struggling to breathe and I got here only with the help of my team.

‘My physio Louise just gave me a talking to before run two (on Saturday) and reminded me that I can do it and we can do it together.

‘I guess four years ago, three years ago the whole team all dared to dream that this was possible and I just went with all them (and) we managed it.’

Yarnold is now Britain’s most decorated Winter Olympian.

Only figure skaters Jeannette Altwegg and pair Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who have one gold medal and one bronze each, also have multiple medals for Britain.

The Great Britain team has now equalled their record Winter Games medal tally of four.

Laura Deas and Izzy Atkin won bronze medals in skeleton adding to Dom Parsons’ bronze medal in the men’s skeleton.