Coaching, innovation adds meat to GB's skeleton prowess

FILE PHOTO: Skeleton - BMW IBSF Bob & Skeleton World Championships - Women training - Koenigssee, Germany - 22/2/17 - Lizzy Yarnold of Britain in action. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

BATH(Reuters) - When Great Britain set out an ambitious plan in 2002 to develop a fruitful bobsleigh and skeleton program with the aim of winning Olympic medals, many would have, in the words of the team's head of performance Danny Holdcroft, laughed at the idea.

However, since the scheme began, there has been a female British skeleton athlete on the podium in every Olympics, including golds for Amy Williams in 2010 and Lizzy Yarnold, who was Britain's sole gold medallist in Sochi, four years later.