It is hard to believe that the 25-year-old has only been in the national team for four years after she switched from her former sport of heptathlon when she was identified in a UK Sport "Girls4Gold" talent identification programme.

But, after leading at the halfway point, she showed the experience of a champion in setting another track record in her third run before - despite a few nervous wobbles at the top of the course - she did enough in the final run to secure a comfortable victory.

It continued Britain run of winning an Olympic women's skeleton medal on all four occasions it has been held and marked the tenth title in Britain's overall Winter Olympic history. 

After missing Turin 2006 through injury and coming fourth at Vancouver 2010, American Noelle Pikus Pace put her Olympic curse to bed to win silver - while an already pulsating atmosphere ramped up a notch more when Russia's Elena Nikitina claimed bronze.

The three medal winners celebrate following the finish of the women's skeleton
©Getty Images



"It is unexplainable and I am sure it won't sink in for another few days," said a delighted Yarnold. 

"I have worked so hard to get into this position and I am just so proud that my dreams have come true.

"I would have been proud medalling and now I have got the gold it is unexplainable.

"I always secretly intended to come to Sochi - that was always my dream and my goal but to win the whole race is far beyond my expectations."

While Yarnold is still a relative newcomer she is a grizzled veteran in comparison with Japan's 19-year-old Yuzuru Hanyu,  who held off the challenge of Canada's Patrick Chan to become the youngest men's figure skating winner for 66 years.
 
After a world record breaking short programme yesterday, Hanyu made several errors in his free skate but still did enough to beat Chan, as Denis Tan of Kazakhstan took bronze. 

Yuzuru Hanyu held his nerve to win figure skating gold for Japan ©AFP/Getty Images

Elsewhere on day eight, there was double gold for Switzerland as first Dario Cologna defended his 15 kilometres classic cross country title, and took his second gold of the Games, before Sandro Viletta took a surprise super-combined victory.

In second place Croatia's Ivica Kostelic took the fourth silver medal of his Olympic career.

Switzerland's double success was enough to propel them into second place on the medals table behind Germany.

There was also double gold today for Belarus. 

Darya Domracheva won a second title of the Olympics in biathlon before 34-year-old compatriot Alla Tsuper claimed a first Olympic medal at her fifth Games with a surprise gold in the freestyle skiing aerials. 

The more fancied pair of China's Xu Mengtao and Australia's Lydia Lassila had to be content with silver and bronze respectively.