Veteran Defago takes Olympic gold medal

Defago, 18th on the start list, made his vast experience count as he clocked 1:54.31.

Monthey-born Defago, 32, then watched as Swiss pre-race favourite Didier Cuche, fellow Swiss Carlo Janka and Canadian hope Manuel Osborne-Paradis produced disappointing runs.

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, last year's overall World Cup winner, took the silver medal with a time of 1:54.38 and American extrovert Bode Miller claimed the bronze in 1:54.40.

Defago, who shot to stardom when he completed the famed Wengen-Kitzbuehel double last season, said: "I knew I could do something on this course. After three Olympic Games and a lot of World Championships I think my experience made a bit of difference.

"It is one of the most beautiful days of my life. The conditions were perfect for me. I knew I would do well but I never expected to do this well."

Erik Guay was the highest placed Canadian in fifth with a time of 1:54.64.

Miller, a 2005 world champion, was eighth on the start list and took the early lead with a time of 1:54.40. He held it until Svindal overhauled him.

After Defago took the lead Osborne-Paradis was next to go and, roared on by the Canadian fans, he made a promising start. But a couple of mistakes on the lower part of the course left him well out of the reckoning.

British skeleton star Amy Williams took her first Olympic run down the controversial Whistler track yesterday and insisted she could not let last week's luge tragedy compromise her love for faster tracks.

Williams scored her World Cup best second place finish on the same Whistler track in February last year and has always maintained the more difficult courses give her the best chance of muscling in on the Olympic medals.

Sliders were given the option of an extra training slide from a lower start gate following criticism – in the wake of the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvili – that athletes did not have enough time to prepare.

Williams said: "The tragedy is on everyone's mind but I just seem to do better on faster tracks. You have to concentrate a lot more and have your wits about you. It felt like I was at the bottom before I knew it."

Williams won a World Championship silver medal on another fast course at Lake Placid last year and is considered a good outside bet for a medal as she competes alongside team-mate and Turin silver medallist Shelley Rudman.

Williams added: "It is the fastest track in the world. There is high G-force on pretty much all the corners. I can't see for most of the time because my head is pinned to the ground – but that seems to suit me."

Sheffield's Rudman and British men's contenders Kristan Bromley, also from Sheffield, and Adam Pengilly started their training runs yesterday. Both men's and women's competitions take place over four runs during Thursday and Friday.