Amelia Coltman: Brit confident of 'mixing it with skeleton's best'

Amelia Coltman was one of two British women that finished in the top six at World Championships

Amelia Coltman says she has surprised herself with breakthrough results on the international skeleton stage.

The 27-year-old Brit won her first top-tier medal with a third-placed finish at the European Championships in Sigulda, Latvia, in early February.

Coltman followed that up with a sixth-placed finish on her World Championship debut in Germany three weeks later.

"It was an amazing feeling and something I didn't know I could achieve," she said of finishing sixth.

"And now I have the confidence that I can mix with the best in the world."

Clinching European bronze also saw Coltman become the first British female to win a medal at the event since double Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold and Rose McGrandle claimed gold and bronze respectively nine years earlier.

'Surreal'

Coltam grew up in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, as an accomplished all-round sports person, who excelled at badminton and represented her county on the tennis court.

Her parents, Gary and Theresa, were both national cycling champions and when she tested to see if she was capable of following their sporting paths, Coltman was identified as an athlete with potential on the skeleton track.

By her own admission, Coltman says she had to watch videos online just to learn what the sport was seven years ago, but she has quickly progressed to become one of Britain's outstanding performers.

Tabby Stoecker was the best placed Brit in the women's event at the World Championships, having finished fourth.

Coltman's recent success comes after struggling with a foot problem that required three operations and had her doubting her future in the sport.

"It kind of feels surreal that I have actually got to the best level in the world now," she told BBC Radio Leicester.

"For so many years I have been knocked back. I had three surgeries in a year-and-a-half and you just think 'oh should I keep going? Is it still worth it?'

"I'm so pleased that I persevered and think my biggest strength is my hard working nature - it has really seen me through."

Coltman, who says she has become used to "living out of two suitcases" as she trains and competes overseas each winter, is next in action later in March at the World Cup event at Lake Placid in the United States.