From relative obscurity to Olympic skeleton champion, all season long Lizzy Yarnold has appeared destined for the top of the podium and the bubbly Briton duly delivered with gold on Friday at her first Games.
Yarnold’s commanding victory suggested she was racing against herself and a Sanki track she gleefully admitted more than once that she loved.
Her rivals were left trailing in her wake.
In emulating friend and 2010 champion Amy Williams, Yarnold, 25, justified the faith of talent scouts who saw a multi-talented, committed and success-driven athlete that could adapt to the sport’s high-speed dangers and quirky intricacies.
Flinging yourself head first down an icy chute on a sled at high-velocity is not for the faint-hearted but a then teenage Yarnold immediately felt right at home.
Success came with the world junior title in 2012 and this season the relentless climb to the sport’s summit was reflected with a first World Cup title last month, swiftly followed by Olympic gold.