British sporting fans will be hoping history repeats itself when Lizzy Yarnold goes for skeleton gold at the Winter Olympics over the next couple of days.
Four years ago, Bath's Amy Williams was fastest in training on the Vancouver track and went on to replicate that speed when it mattered most to claim a historic Olympic title.
World Cup winner Yarnold – who rents a house in Bath from Williams – has been leaving her rivals trailing in her wake all week at the Sanki Sliding Centre, going fastest in four out of five sessions.
Main rival Noelle Pikus-Pace was off the pace in the only two training runs she undertook, while compatriot Shelley Rudman has also been struggling for speed.
All of that makes Yarnold odds-on favourite to succeed Williams as champion – but the 25-year-old is taking nothing for granted.
"Everyone is trying very different things in training, so all I can do is find out my best lines," said Yarnold, who goes second in the first heat at 7.30am GMT tomorrow.
"Now I'm into it I'm really not feeling the pressure at all. I am super-focussed on the race, so I just let everything else go and enjoy myself.
"I was pleased with how well I performed in training and I did surprise myself in the way I remembered the track so well.
"You have to be able to think very quickly and remember the four or five different steers in every corner.
"I visualise the track every night before I go to bed. As soon as I got there this week, I just relaxed and let the sled pick up as much speed as it could.
"The track is in excellent condition, I've never seen it so clean and so fast. It will be a lot of fun to get back on it and start sliding again."
Heat two is at 8.40am tomorrow, with heat three at 3.40pm on Friday. The medals will be decided in the final run at 4.51pm.
