THE BEST OF 2010: Amy Williams' glorious skeleton gold in Vancouver

By Ryan Bangs, Sportsbeat

THE WHISTLER Sliding Centre was the bane of my existence at the Vancouver Winter Olympics back in February - but don't go telling Amy Williams that.

GOLDEN GIRL Skeleton slider Amy Williams became Great Britain's first individual Winter Olympic gold medallist for 30 years in Vancouver (Getty Images)

Williams was the undoubted shining star of a British team that promised a lot at the Games, but delivered little, becoming the nation's first solo Winter Olympic gold medallist for 30 years.

However rewind a month and it was largely a case of Amy who? at the announcement of the British skeleton team bound for Canada at BOA headquarters.

Olympic silver medallist from 2006 Shelley Rudman was the name on everyone's lips that day in London and I barely got a word in edgeways as she was prompted about motherhood, Turin and Canadian Melissa Hollingsworth.

Williams didn't come up once, despite winning world silver in 2009, and when I asked her about Rudman in one of few interviews she did it became clear they weren't the best of friends.

The depth of their rift soon became increasingly apparent but the furore surrounding Rudman continued upon arrival in Canada with her final thoughts wanted and not Williams'.

However beware the silent assassin and as we were soon to find out the girl nicknamed ‘Curly Wurly' already had the upper hand.

She was never below fourth on the timesheets during practice and produced four near-faultless runs and two track records to take gold by more than half a second - an unprecedented display of dominance.

In comparison Rudman struggled to sixth place and those quick for her words previously were now nowhere to be seen as she went into hiding as not to be forced into watching Williams' winning run.

And so, bane of her existence the Whistler Sliding Centre might not have been and while Williams' gold will live long in my memory it soon became mine.

Even before making the long trip from Vancouver I had my reservations following the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili.

That was tempered after watching British luger Adam Rosen conquer the controversial course that almost ended his career in October 2009 to finish 16th and not thought of amid the Williams hype.

But literally minutes later things started turning sour - Kristan Bromley finished sixth in the men's skeleton while Adam Pengilly was disconsolate after injury forced him to 18th.

The following day John Jackson and Dan Money, in the British two-man bobsleigh, spectacularly crashed forcing me into a mad uphilll, and I mean uphill, dash from the warmth of press centre to get their thoughts.

Lightning struck twice when 2009 two-woman bobsleigh world champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke tumbled before a third bolt landed again days later.

Just like in the two-man bobsleigh Jackson crashed the four-man sled with the scenes that followed almost as priceless as Williams' gold.

Money slammed his helmet with an intense disgust, although at least this time he stayed in the bob, while the British media officer desperately scrambled to keep order amid a backdrop banner stating, ‘where's Lee Johnston?'.

My pride at Williams' win had by now turned into near-embarrassment although Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas proved an exception to the rule finishing the women's bob a valiant 11th.

What pains me the most though is that I convinced myself long before Williams' gold Britain would win their first bobsleigh medal since the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

Alas they didn't and while Williams may forever remember the Whistler Sliding Centre as the scene of her greatest sporting memories I, on the other hand, just hope the Russian equivalent in four years' time can be mine.