The Latvian was fastest down both of his runs on the Mount Van Hoevenberg track for a combined time of 1min 47.54sec.

It proved a perfect start to a campaign which he hopes will end in a first Olympic gold after silver medal finishes at Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014.

The five-time world champion finished 0.11 seconds clear over Sungbin Yun, the South Korean rising star who is hoping to slide to a home medal at Pyeongchang 2018.

Defending Olympic champion Alexander Tretiakov of Russia finished a further 0.06 behind in third.

Tretiakov was among a group of Russian sliders to be the subject of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Disciplinary Hearing on Monday (November 6) into evidence of his involvement in doping and sample tampering at Sochi 2014.

It appears likely he will ultimately be stripped of his gold medal - possibly resulting in Dukurs being upgraded - after similar verdicts in cases involving Russian cross-country skiers in the last week.

He will have the right to appeal the IOC decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, however.

There was also history today as Geng Wenqiang finished seventh in the 31-man field after becoming the first Chinese athlete to compete in the men's skeleton event.

Americans Codie Bascue and Samuel McGuffie won the later men's two-man bobsleigh event in a total time of 1:51.73.

Canadians Justin Kripps and Alexander Kopacz finished a slender 0.11 behind in second.

Justin Olsen and Evan Weinstock sealed a second US podium spot with bronze in 1:52.13.