Sochi 2014: Team GB’s top medal prospects

Team GB's Elise Christie. Picture: Getty

If they do, it would be Britain’s best medal haul at a Winter Games since winning a gold, silver and bronze in Germany in 1936. So who are the top medal prospects?

Women’s curling team

Perth-born Eve Muirhead’s rink have been competing together in senior competitions since the 2011-12 season. The 23-year-old, along with Claire Hamilton, Vicki Adams, Anna Sloan and Lauren Gray aim to add to their 2013 World title and European silver medal. Muirhead, below, who led the British team at Vancouver in 2010, is the senior world champion, having won gold at Riga last March.

Lizzy Yarnold

A former heptathlete, the 25-year-old from Sevenoaks was discovered by a UK Sport Girls4Gold search, aimed at finding potential Olympic champions. She hoped to be earmarked for the modern pentathlon, but was recommended for the skeleton, so took up the sport in 2009 and and won the world junior title three years later. Last month, Yarnold won the overall skeleton World Cup title. She will be competing at Sochi on a sled named Mervyn.

Elise Christie

The short track speed skater from Livingston, right, competed at Vancouver four years ago, with a highest placing of 11th. Now 25, she has thrived since switching tactics to become a frontrunner. The first British woman to win a world championship medal when third in the 1000m last March, a month after winning the 1000m World Cup. Won European gold in the 1000m and 1500m last month.

Shelley Rudman

The reigning skeleton world champion, the 32-year-old is the first British woman to hold the title. Also a World Cup winner and two-time European champion, she has added a stone in weight in the past year to boost her starting power as she aims to improve on an Olympic silver won in 2006 – GB’s only medal of those Games.

Katie Summerhayes

The 18-year-old freestyle skier, left, was the first British female in 19 years to win a World Cup skiing medal when she took silver last February. Began the 2012-13 season recovering from a career-threatening knee injury, yet finished fourth at both the World Championships and the Euro Winter X-Games, and last month won her second World Cup silver medal.