Dom Parsons: Ten things you didn't know about GB's skeleton bronze medallist

Dom Parsons upset the odds to win Great Britain's first medal of the 2018 Winter Olympics with bronze in the men's skeleton in Pyeongchang.

The 30-year-old also became the first British male to win a skeleton medal since John Crammond in 1948.

But how much do you know about him?

1. The Walthamstow Wizard

Parsons hails from Walthamstow, London, but is now based in Bath, where he trains and studies. He is nicknamed 'the wizard' - but not because he works magic on the track. A team-mate added a wizard's cap to a picture of Parsons on Snapchat and the nickname has stuck.

2. From one track to another

Parsons started out as a 400m runner with the Blackheath & Bromley club before deciding to switch to skeleton in 2007. The best 400m time he ran was 50.1 seconds in 2006.

3. No time to waste

Parsons was introduced to skeleton in 2007 at Bath University's push track by then GB Olympic slider Adam Pengilly, who has also been in the news today. That October, just after his 20th birthday, Parsons took his first runs down a track on a skeleton sled. Only three months later, he took part in his first competition - a Europa Cup event in St Moritz, Switzerland.

4. Dr Parsons

Parsons has been studying for a PhD in mechanical engineering at Bath University since 2013, focusing on 'vehicle powertrains'. The university has also supported him with a sports scholarship.

5. Brains as well as brawn

Parsons not only knows how to race on a sled but he makes them too, with Kristan Bromley. The former world champion owns a company which designs sleds and has sponsored Parsons since 2014.

6. Formula 1 fanatic

A self-confessed speed geek, Parsons is a big fan of cars and motorsport, in particular Formula 1. If he wasn't a slider, being an F1 driver would be his dream job and his hero is Ayrton Senna, the three-time world champion who died in a crash in 1994.

7. Labour of love

His girlfriend is also a skeleton slider. Jackie Narracott will represent Australia in the women's event on Friday and Saturday, when she will compete against defending champion Lizzy Yarnold and another Briton, Laura Deas.

Jackie Narracott posted a selfie with Dom at the opening ceremony on Instagram

8. Gradual development

Parsons' first World Cup event was in December 2012, when he came 17th in La Plagne, France. Since then the highest he has finished in the overall World Cup standings is fifth - in 2014-15 and 2015-16. His favourite track is St Moritz, where he came fourth in January's World Cup event, helping him finish 12th for the 2017-18 season.

9. World class

After securing 10th place at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Parsons has claimed three top-10 finishes in the World Championships - seventh (2015), 10th (2016) and eighth (2017).

10. In three words...

...Parsons describes himself as pedantic, loyal and facetious.