(Reuters) – For a rustic that doesn’t even boast a skeleton monitor, Britain’s document at producing Olympic medal winners in the high-speed sliding sport is phenomenal.
Since skeleton returned to the programme at Salt Lake City in 2002, British sliders have gained three gold medals, three bronze and one silver.
British ladies have been particularly dominant, having gained the final three Olympic titles with Lizzy Yarnold topping the rostrum in 2018 and 2014 and Amy Williams in 2010.
Yarnold has since retired and Laura Deas, who took bronze 4 years in the past in Pyeongchang, will likely be hoping to proceed the nation’s medal streak in Beijing.
The 33-year-old Deas will likely be joined by Olympic debutantes Brogan Crowley, Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt — all of whom prepare at Bath University’s concrete push monitor, a facility that allows sliders to good the all-important begin.
Wyatt is a former American Football participant, whereas Crowley was a promising heptathlete earlier than being recognized as having the attributes to slide down an icy monitor at speeds of 80mph.
Having the precise individuals, one of the best in sports activities psychology and a marginal beneficial properties method to tools and coaching strategies are all key to making Britain a skeleton powerhouse, says former horse rider Deas, who didn’t take up the game till in her 20s.
“The greatest factor we do rather well is bringing in the precise athletes, discovering the individuals to switch from one other sport into skeleton,” Deas, essentially the most skilled member of the squad, advised reporters when the group was introduced final week.
“We do not have a house monitor so we’ve got to do a lot of different issues higher than different nations.”
In Pyeongchang a row erupted on the eve of the Games concerning the British group’s state-of-the-art skinsuits and helmets — with different nations claiming they gave them an unfair benefit.
Rivals could have wised up this time, though all will likely be revealed as soon as the coaching runs begin in Beijing.
“I’ve received an enormous quantity of confidence and pleasure about what we’re bringing out for the Games and what that can assist us to obtain on the monitor,” Deas mentioned.
While Dominic Parsons took a bronze medal 4 years in the past, Britain’s males haven’t managed to emulate the success of the ladies. Wyatt, 30, says any color medal in Beijing can be successful and believes that the group could have a bonus.
“Other nations have a number of residence tracks and their athletes spend loads of time on them,” Wyatt, who gained a take a look at occasion on the monitor getting used on the Beijing Games in October, mentioned.
“But I feel we have had 30 or 40 runs in Beijing and could have one other 10 once we received there. As nation we’re actually good at studying these tracks rapidly.
“There’s no different monitor prefer it, it is actually technical and troublesome and I feel the important thing will likely be consistency over the 4 runs. If you will have three nice runs but one unhealthy one it would take you out of competition.”
While the Olympics will likely be a brand new expertise for Crowley, she mentioned having function fashions like Williams and Yarnold fills her with confidence.
“As a girl, you do not at all times have unbelievable feminine idols inside sport, but to have them skeleton has been wonderful for me,” she mentioned
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Mike Harrison)
