GB trio's close bonding could be key to Olympics glory for Melton's Amelia
Amelia Coltman and Team GB’s tight-knit group of women’s skeleton stars can keep their cool under pressure and gatecrash the Winter Olympic podium, according to gold medal star Amy Williams.
Melton Mowbray ace Coltman, 29, finished fourth overall on the World Cup stage last season after winning the opening race of the season in PyeongChang.
The Leicestershire ace went on to win another World Cup race in the mixed team event alongside Marcus Wyatt and descends on Milan-Cortina in a solid run of form.
Coltman, Tabitha Stoecker and Freya Tarbit make up the women’s team while Wyatt and Matt Weston – two red-hot favourites for medals – make up Britain’s biggest ever skeleton contingent at a Winter Games.
And Williams, who memorably clinched Team GB’s first Winter gold for 30 years back at Vancouver 2010, says the intimate bond between them can catapult them towards success.
“Freya, Amelia and Tabby have all been in it together,” she said.
“All three have helped and supported each other the whole time.
“There have been injuries here and there that they have all come through, but they’ve all experienced standing on a podium and knowing what that feels like.
“They all want it and are all doing well – they’re all in the top 10 and it’s just got to come together in the right moment.
“It is their first Olympics – that extra kind of nervous energy may be there but they’re so well bonded with each other hopefully they will be fine.
“I just told them to take a big deep breath, relax their shoulders, shake it out and enjoy the whole process, then the results will come.”
Stoecker, 25, won Britain's first female skeleton overall World Cup medal for 11 years last month while Tarbit, 25, enjoyed a breakthrough year last season as a pair of individual World Cup medals helped her finish eighth overall.
And on the men’s side, world No.1 Weston heads to the Alps as the reigning world, European and overall World Cup champion as teammate Wyatt scooped silvers in those events behind him.
Williams, world champion back in 2009, can’t wait for it to all get underway as Britain’s stars bid to follow in her historic 2010 footsteps.
“The team are in an amazing, positive place and have had really consistent results,” added Williams, who is part of the punditry team on TNT Sports’ coverage of the Games.
“They’re all happy and everything has slotted into place at the right time.
“I’ve watched that team since they first started, so I feel like this is full circle, all here at the Olympics together.
“It’s our biggest team ever so hopefully we can bring home some really good results.
“I’m really excited now – everyone’s ready, the preparation’s been done and they’re all ready.
“Every four years you’re building up to this moment in time, we’ve got some amazing results and our athletes are all in a really good place.”
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