Who / What
Lizzy Yarnold is a British former skeleton racer.
She won consecutive Olympic gold medals, becoming the first British Winter Olympian to claim two gold medals.
Background & History
Yarnold was born on 31 October 1988.
During her youth she competed in heptathlon before switching to skeleton in 2008, after being identified by UK Sport’s Girls4Gold programme as a promising candidate for the sport.
She rose to prominence in the late 2000s and early 2010s, culminating in Olympic success.
Why Notable
Yarnold’s 2014 and 2018 Olympic gold medals solidified her status as a record‑setting athlete in skeleton.
Her back‑to‑back titles made her the first British Winter Olympian to win two gold medals, an unprecedented achievement.
Her success brought increased visibility and support for skeleton and other British winter sports.
In the News
Yarnold’s retirements from competition preserve her legacy as a pioneering figure in British winter sport.
Her story continues to inspire new generations of athletes, particularly within the UK Sport Girls4Gold talent‑identification programme.
