Melton skeleton racer Amelia Coltman strikes Europa Cup gold

Amelia Coltman (centre) after winning gold in just her second international race EMN-191216-171213002

After winning silver in Winterberg on her Great Britain team debut the previous weekend, the Melton athlete went one better in Konigsee with gold on Saturday.

And with that epic result still sinking in, Coltman completed her medal set with bronze in Sunday’s race in the Europa Cup double-header.

The 23-year-old only joined the British Skeleton programme in the summer of 2017, and is in her first season of competing, but dominated a 25-strong field on Saturday.

Amelia Coltman made an instant impact on the international scene with a silver medal in her Great Britain team debut EMN-191112-104146002

She won by more than half-a-second, defeating four German sliders on their home ice.

“To win my first race of my career in my second ever competition was unbelievable,” said Coltman.

“I was so happy that I backed up last week’s silver and showed how consistent I can be.

“And to win on a German track that involves a lot of driving skill has really boosted my confidence.”

Coltman was quickest in each of her two runs in Bavaria as she clocked a combined time of 1min 46.21secs to beat Germany’s Josefa Schellmoser to top spot by an impressive 0.62 seconds.

The result drew a personal note of congratulations from Amy Williams, Britain’s first skeleton gold medal winner at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

“I’ve waited two years to start competing, so to begin with a second place and a win was a dream come true,” Coltman added.

There was little time for respite as Coltman, cheered on by parents Gary and Theresa – both former national cycling champions – faced two more runs of the Konigsee track on Sunday.

As in Winterberg, she lay just outside the medals in fourth after her first run, but overtook Schellmoser to claim the bronze in a combined time of 1min 46.46secs, 0.68secs down on runaway winner Endija Terauda, of Latvia.

The six-race Europa Cup returns in the new year with another double-header at Innsbruck, Austria, on Friday and Saturday, January 10 and 11.

But having comfortably met the criteria for promotion to the next level – and in double-quick time – Coltman could next find herself in action in the Intercontinental Cup come the new year.