Home favourite Alexander Tretiakov has a 0.56 second lead at the mid-point of the men's skeleton. The Russian's combined score of 1:51.99 is significantly better than second placed Martins Dukurs of Latvia. Former world champion Kristan Bromley (+2.27) is sharing eight place with Canadian John Fairbairn, while fellow Brit Dominic Parsons (+2.41) is joint 10th.

If you're unfamiliar with aerials then help is at hand because I have been carrying around the 'beginners guide to aerials' in the hope that, one day, there would be a moment like this. Athletes hit giant jumps, called kickers, at speeds of up to 60 kmh and are propelled 20m into the air, and while in orbit they perform somersaults and twists before landing on a steep slope. Think Cirque de Soleil on skis and you're nearly there.

Qualification for the final of the women's aerials has been going on for some time and it is a captivating event. It's a bit like watching lemmings perform acrobatic feats before wincing as the fall off the edge of a cliff.

Hello there. Stephan has left his desk momentarily to mentally prepare for Lizzy Yarnold's bid for Olympic glory. His keyboard is unattended so it's me here, Aimee, updating you with what's going on in Sochi while also sending rogue messages from Steph's email account. Multi-tasking at its best.

Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Sochi

Image source, BBC Sport

The Olympic rings are a very popular photo opportunity in the Olympic Park, as you can imagine. Every day hundreds get their special memento of their day at the Games.

Britain's Amanda Lightfoot misses one of her first five shots in the opening shooting section in the women's 15km individual competition.

There are four shooting phases, two in a prone (lying down) position and two standing up. Each missed target is costly, as it adds a minute to the biathlete's total time. Darya Domracheva of Belarus, a gold medallist in the 10km pursuit on Tuesday, is an early leader after hitting all five of her first shots.

Parsons was going so well, but a huge hit saw him lose a lot of time. He ends up down in eighth place.

Bromley, the 41-year-old known as Dr Ice, up first. A run of 57.02 seconds puts him joint first with 15 men to go. The first of which is Dominic Parsons...

Our attention may be focussed on the women's skeleton, but the Britons have gone well in the first run of the men's event. Kristian Bromley and Dominic Parsons were placed ninth and 10th after the first run, and they are up next.

Will Perry
BBC Radio 5 live reporter in Sochi

Image source, @willperrytv

The skeleton track is ready for Lizzy Yarnold.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't want to try and walk down the aerials course, let alone ski, touch the sky, then try to land in what looks like a pile of dirty, sludgey snow. No wonder each skier that nails the landing gives it the big double-armed celebration. I'd just be grateful not to break a leg.

Image source, Reuters

In case you missed it, GB women's curlers boosted their medal hopes earlier with a 12-3 thrashing of Japan. They stole the seventh end by a record-equalling five points to move joint-third in the standings at the half-way stage of the competition.

GB skip Eve Muirhead said: "The momentum has been starting to build and we continued it today. None of these teams are going to be easy, we knew Japan were going to come out sharp and we knew we had to come out firing from the start and that is exactly what we did. The girls are all playing really well, setting me up to play these shots - it was a good solid team performance."

Right then, a little over an hour or so to go before Lizzy Yarnold jumps on to Mervyn (that's her sled) and slides down a moutainside with the hopes of the nation on her back. Are you excited? Nervous? Have you got your viewing plan sorted?

Britain's Amanda Lightfoot has just started in the women's 15km individual biathlon event. The 27-year-old is only the second British woman to compete in this event.

There are 84 biathletes competing in the race, which also includes four shooting sections. One minute is added to a biathlete's total time for every target that is missed.

Slovakia's Anastasiya Kuzmina won the 7.5km sprint and then came sixth in the 10km pursuit on Tuesday. Norway's Tora Berger, a silver medallist three days ago, is the defending champion.

Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Sochi

Image source, Reuters

"Costa del Sochi? I knew Sochi was a summer resort but I didn't realise that summer happens all year round in these parts. Another warm day in what is supposed to the middle of winter on the Black Sea coast, has visitors to the Olympic Park realising they brought too many layers with them.

"The Olympic Park has a festival feel with music pumping out and fans chilling out. We'd be happy with these temperatures in a summer Games!"

Great's Britain's men are in ninth and 10th places in the men's skeleton after the first of four runs. Dom Parsons, who became the first British man to win a World Cup medal for four years when he earned a bronze in Calgary at the beginning of the season, is ninth, 1.28 seconds behind the leader, Alexander Tretiakov of Russia. Britain's former world champion Kristan Bromley was just 0.01 secs slower than his fellow Brit.

Richard Browne:, external A winter sport even more ludicrous/fantastic than doubles luge? Try aerial skiing. Gymnastics with added skis and snow.

Jacob:, external They just jump super high on skis, lots of twists and flips and TRY to land?! AWESOME.

I'd be absolutely stunned if we don't have an injury in this women's aerials. Australian Lydia Lassila has just landed on the back of her head after dropping from the sky. In fact, it looks like the majority of competitors take a tumble on landing. Is this a sport for those with no regard for their own health? How on earth do you decide that you want to take this up? And they still get up and wave at the camera!

Image source, AFP

Sophie in Maidstone: I'm really interested to know why curling doesn't have mixed gender teams? It seems to me that the skill set for the sport favours neither male or female body types of strengths. Could Team GB not benefit from mixed teams? Like we do in the equestrian disciplines in the Summer Olympics?

Image source, Getty Images

Some reaction from Great Britain's Andrew Young, who finished 37th in the men's 15km classic cross county event.

"It was an awesome race, I am really happy," said the 21-year-old. "I enjoyed myself and skied to the best of my ability in these conditions.

"This isn't my favoured event and I didn't think about the result. I just focused on myself and my technique, relaxed into it and it was really fun."