Lizzy Yarnold: Difference between revisions

Having suffered from dizzy spells for several years, in September 2017 Yarnold disclosed that she had been diagnosed with a [[vestibular disorder]] affecting the inner ear.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/41286135 |title=Lizzy Yarnold: Olympic skeleton champion diagnosed with vestibular disorder |last=McDaid |first=David |date=15 September 2017 |website=[[bbc.co.uk]] |access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref> After a relatively poor season,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://inews.co.uk/sport/olympics/lizzy-yarnold-interview-winter-olympics/ |title=Lizzy Yarnold interview: ‘After winning everything I had to take time off’ |last=Rich |first=Tim |date=8 February 2018 |website=[[inews.co.uk]] |access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref> she successfully defended her Olympic title at the 2018 Games in Pyongchang, despite suffering from a number of health problems: upon arriving in South Korea for the Games, she developed a chest infection which worsened to the point where she was having trouble speaking and breathing, and on the first day of competition, she suffered from dizziness due to a flare-up of her vestibular condition.<ref name=kelner>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/31/lizzy-yarnold-i-wanted-to-scream-winter-olympic-double-gold-medallist |title=Lizzy Yarnold: I wanted to scream ‘I wish people knew the truth’ |last=Kelner |first=Martha |date=31 July 2018 |website=[[theguardian.com]] |access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref> She took the lead with a new track record on the first run: despite this she subsequently admitted that she was on the verge of pulling out of the competition due to her health issuesproblems.<ref name=bens>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/winter-olympics/2018/02/17/lizzy-yarnold-laura-deas-winter-olympics-womens-skeleton-final/ |title=Lizzy Yarnold takes gold to retain Olympic title as Laura Deas wins bronze |last=Bloom |first=Ben |last2=Coles |first2=Ben|date=17 February 2018|website=[[telegraph.co.uk]] |access-date=17 October 2018}}</ref> Dropping down to third place after the second run, albeit just a tenth of a second behind overnight leader [[Jacqueline Lölling]], her health improved for the second day, and she subsequently moved up to second after the third run, two hundredths of a second behind new leader [[Janine Flock]].<ref name=bens /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/17/lizzy-yarnold-wins-winter-olympics-gold-laura-deas-bronze-record-britain-day |title=Lizzy Yarnold takes skeleton gold to make Winter Olympics history for Britain |last=Ingle |first=Sean |author-link=Sean Ingle |date=17 February 2018 |website=[[theguardian.com]]|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref> On the final run she set another track record to clinch the gold by almost half a second.<ref name=bens /> She subsequently stated that she considers her second Olympic gold to be her greatest achievement.<ref name=retire />