Britain enjoyed a clean sweep of the women's bobsleigh podium ©British Bobsleigh & Skeleton

Britain’s women’s bobsledders will start next month’s Winter Youth Olympiic Games ranked number one after sweeping the podium at the conclusion of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) Omega Youth Series.

The series ran from November 5 and comprised of seven monobob competitions, with the overall winners crowned following the completion of the final leg in St. Moritz.

Kelsea Purchall was triumphant at the final event to claim her third gold medal of the season, with a further silver and two bronze medals in the other events confirming her as the dominant force.

Purchall was crowned the series winner on 766 points and her team-mates Annabel Chaffey and Aimee Davey completed the podium places, achieving 696 and 606 points respectively.

“One thing I’ve dreamt of my whole sporting career is to see three Union flags raised on a medal podium and nd that dream has now become a reality,” said Gary Anderson, Great Britain Bobsleigh performance director.

“The officials from the St Moritz Bobsleigh Club came up to me and said they only had two Union Jacks but that they would find us another so we could hoist all three - that’s how unique an achievement this really is.

“The amount of people that have come up to our athletes and our staff and congratulated them since is unprecedented, I’m just so proud of and pleased for these young people – they are a real credit to our country.”


The men’s team were nearly able to repeat the feat of the women, as George Johnston fought off the challenge of Romania’s Mihai Christian Tentea to win the series on 720 points, with his rival just 20 adrift.

Johnston’s team-mate Ed Himbury finished third on the overall standings on 662, with another Briton in Adam Hames ending fourth on a total of 598.

One of the key moments of the series was Johnston’s victory at the penultimate event in Lillehammer, one of two gold medals he earned, with the result placing him top of the standings ahead of the final competition.

He will be hoping to repeat the feat on the Norwegian track should be selected for the second edition of the Winter Youth Olympics, scheduled to take place in Lillehammer from February 12 to 21.

The British selection for the Games, which is for athletes between 15 and 18, will be announced later this month.