A track record! 57.91 seconds - more than half a second faster than either of her runs yesterday. That is a marker for the rest of the field.

Colin Bryce
Former GB bobsledder on BBC TV

"It was her fastest start, and you cannot ask for more than that. Some athletes an be tired after the first day, but she obviously is not.

"That gave her great speed and momentum into the first corners."

Image source, AP

Good start...very fast so far...

Hey,Yarnold. Run three of four. Away we go...

Amy Williams
2010 Olympic skeleton champion on BBC TV

"I am expecting them to go a lot quicker today. The air is colder and the ice is colder - the times could be half a second quicker."

Lizzy Yarnold's sister Charlotte on BBC Two: "She supports us with everything we do. I've only seen her twice this season, but mum and dad have seen her four times. We're all right behind her."

Image source, PA

Amy Williams
2010 Olympic skeleton champion on BBC TV

"It will be an amazing thing to see her win, and if it happens, I will feel like I have been a tiny part of Lizzy's journey. She is special and has something a bit different in the head.

"She has to do two more consistent runs. I have spoken to her, and she was asking me what I did the night before.

"I told her just to relax and stick to her routine."

As leader, Yarnold has the honour of going first in the third run. If she remains in first place, she will be the final slider to go in the fourth and final run.

Darkness has descended on the Sliding Centre, which is illuminated by floodlights. Yarnold is at the top of the mountain, and gets a hug from GB team-mate Shelley Rudman, who lies 11th at the mid-way point.

Not the best of starts for GB against Denmark - after a scoreless opening end, they concede two in the second. Still, it's hammer time for David Murdoch and his band of merry men.

Image source, PA

Ahead of her the final two runs, Yarnold has been revealing some of her inspirations and motivations to BBC Sport's Nick Hope.

"I loved heptathlon when I was younger," said Yarnold, who was recruited to skeleton through a UK Sport-backed 'Girls4Gold' scheme in 2008.

"Denise Lewis was my hero when I was growing up and she won her Olympic gold medal and that is always what I wanted to emulate."

Haven't heard of Yarnold's super sliding? Where have you been?

Maidstone's finest has a massive 0.44-second lead on the rest of the field ahead of the final two runs down the mountainside. Part three of her four-part quest for gold is almost ready to begin. Watch live on BBC Two and at the start of this page.

Aimee Lewis has finished her good work for the day, it's Stephan Shemilt in to take you to the close. Are we set to crown the first British champion of these Games. Lizzy Yarnold, your time is now.

BenTurner98:, external I love looking at all the countries with no gold medals and thinking how we'll be above them in a couple of hours! COME ON LIZZY

David Murdoch's men are on the ice, attempting to chew up and spit out the Danish team. If Britain succeed in doing so, it would be their fifth victory of these round-robin matches. It's currently goalless midway through the second end and there's a bit of deliberating going on between Murdoch and co.

Darya Domracheva received one penalty but still completed the 15km course in 43 minutes 19.6 seconds, which was 1:15.7 ahead of Switzerland's Selina Gasparin. Joining them on the podium for the medal ceremony will be Belarusian Nedezhda Skardino, who was 1:38.2 adrift, in third.

Image source, Reuters

Darya Domracheva was slight favourite ahead of this event and the Belarusian celebrates her second biathlon gold of these Games.

We were having so much fun that it felt as if qualification has only just begun, but it's over and we will now have to wait until this evening's final, which starts at 17:30 GMT, for more bodacious - or foolhardy - depending which side of the slope you sit, somersaults. America's Ashley Caldwell qualified with the highest score (101.25). Reigning Olympic champion Lydia Lassila, competing in her fourth and possibly final Games, is also through thanks to a 90.65 score.

Sochi Olympic organisers say the Russian worker struck by a speeding bobsled on Thursday is in a stable condition after surgery. A forerunning sled - sent down to test the course and its timing systems before the first competitor - crashed into the man, who suffered two broken legs.

Spokeswoman Alexandra Kosterina said the surgery went "successfully", adding: "He's conscious, he's stable and he's good right now".

Meanwhile, the top US women's bobsled team - driver Elana Meyers and brakeman Lauryn Williams - crashed during a training run at the Sanki Sliding Centre. They were unhurt and made their second run as scheduled.

Nick Hope
BBC Sport in Sochi

Britain's Dom Parsons, whose combined time is 1:54.40 after two runs, describes his Olympic debut as a "great experience".

"I love competing and it's a great feeling competing in this atmosphere," he says. "I'm happy with how it went until corner 11. In training it was a choice between fighting and skidding, or taking a hit, and I tried to take a light hit.

"Corners 14 and 15 haven't gone so well today [but] if I can put together a run tomorrow hopefully it will show in the times."

Nick Hope
BBC Sport in Sochi

"In the first run I made a couple of little mistakes as the speed of the track was a bit different to training," says Kristan Bromley.

Image source, Getty Images

"My second run was much more competitive, but I had a but too much height into turn 11 which cost me. Overall I'm pretty pleased with where I am at heading into the final two runs. I will keep trying and try to finish in the top 6."