(ATR) Amy Williams became Team GB’s first individual Winter Olympics gold medallist for 30 years and the first woman individual gold medallist for 58 years after winning the women’s skeleton title.
The 27-year-old had an emphatic 0.56 secs winning margin over Germany’s Kerstin Szymkowiak, with another German, Anja Huber, taking bronze.
"It's absolutely brilliant. It's out of this world. Never in a million years did I think I'd come here and win gold,” Williams said. “I don't think it will sink in for weeks and weeks.
"It's amazing to do this for my country. I had nothing to lose here and I just went for it. I enjoyed every minute. I knew I had to just keep it together. I can't remember what I did on the last run… half of the track is just a blur.”
Williams dominated the skeleton event in Vancouver, breaking the track record twice at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
Friday’s result means Great Britain have won medals in skeleton at the last three Winter Olympics; Shelley Rudman won silver in Turin 2006, Team GB’s only medal at the 2006 Games.
Williams’ gold was Team GB’s ninth in Winter Olympics history. The last gold was won by the women’s curling team in Salt Lake City in 2002 and the last individual gold was won by figure skater Robin Cousins at Lake Placid in 1980. The last British woman to win an individual gold was Jeannette Altwegg, who won figure skating gold in Oslo in 1952.
In the men’s skeleton, Jon Montgomery gave Canada their fourth gold of the Games, beating Latvia's Martin Dukurs into second place by just 0.07 secs Bronze went to Russia's Alexander Tretyakov.
Luge Probe
The International Luge Federation will undertake a thorough review of its Olympic events at the Vancouver Games in the wake of the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumarishtavili.
Following the completion of luge events in Vancouver, the federation says it is collating information to "determine how best to move forward”. Some of the conclusions from that investigation will be made public by the end of March, the federation said.
Kumarishtavili died when he lost control of his sled and was hurled into a trackside metal pole on curve 16 of the course in a practice run accident on the eve of the Games. His death has sparked major concerns about the safety of the sliding track, one of the fastest in the world. But luge officials have insisted the track was safe.
Norway Dominates Skiing
Norwegians swept the two medal skiing events on Friday with Marit Bjoergen winning the ladies' 15 km pursuit and Aksel Lund Svindal winning the men's super-G.
Bjoergen beat silver medalist Awed Anna Haag and bronze-medalist Justyna Kowalczyk of Norway for her secondgold medal of the Vancouver Games. On Wednesday Bjoergen won the individual sprint. Overall, Bjoergen has five Olympic medals including a bronze from earlier this week and two silvers from Turin.
Svindal came from behind to capture his second Olympic medal. He finished ahead of U.S. skiers Bode Miller and Andrew Weibrecht, who took silver and bronze. Svindal also won downhill silver.
Ski Jumping Controversy
Heading into the ski jumping large hill competition there has been some controversy surrounding gold medalist Simon Ammann of Switzerland.
On Thursday, event officials said Ammann could keep modified ski binding for the large hill after the Austrian team asked for a review. There is a possibility that the Austrians could protest the event if Ammann uses the equipment.
Ammann took gold in the normal hill earlier this week week, while Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer finished with bronze. Ammann and Schlierenzauer are favorites for gold today.
Doping Controls
The IOC says that around 1,363 doping tests have been carried out at the Games as part of the largest ever testing program for a Winter Olympics.
The tests include 1,040 urine and 323 blood tests and cover the period Feb. 4 to 18. Athletes have been tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency and VANOC under the authority of the IOC. No athlete has so far been sanctioned for a doping offense, but one athlete has received a reprimand.
Doping controls at the Vancouver Games will total 2,000 tests, up from 700 in Salt Lake City and 1,200 in Turin. The IOC said it “serves as a clear demonstration of the IOC's commitment to ensuring that athletes play fair”.
New Sochi 2014 Ambassador
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic organizers have appointed the winner of Russia’s first gold medal in Vancouver as an ambassador.
Cross-country skier Nikita Kriukov, 24, won gold in the individual sprint classic.
He accepted his new role as a ambassador from Dmitry Chernyshenko, Sochi 2014 president and CEO, at Sochi World in Vancouver. Sochi World is the home of the Russian delegation attending the Olympics.
Chernyshenko said: “Nikita has made Russia proud with his gold medal performance. We hope he has inspired other young athletes to strive to compete at Russia’s first Winter Games in Sochi in 2014.”
Medal Events Feb. 20
Olympians will compete for six gold medals: Women’s Super-G; Ski Jumping Large Hill; Men's Cross Country Skiing 30 km Pursuit; Men's Speed Skating 1,500m and 1,000m; Women’s Ladies Speed Skating 1,500m.
Medal Table
The U.S. maintain top spot with 20 medals. Germany are in second place with 13 followed by Norway on 10 and Canada on 8.
Weather
Vancouver – Sunny, high 10c, low 3c
Whistler— Sunny, high 7c, low -5c
Cypress Mountain – Sunny, high 9c, low 0c
With reporting from Mark Bisson and SamSteinberg
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