WYOG 2012: Sawyers and McNeill bring curtain down in Austria with silver

From Charlie Talbot-Smith, Sportsbeat, in Innbruck

JAZMIN Sawyers and Mica McNeill made history by scooping silver for Great Britain in the two-woman bobsleigh race at the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck.

SMILES ALL ROUND: Jazmin Sawyers and Mica McNeill proudly show off their medals as they help bring the curtain down in Austria in style

In the same city that Team GB won their first ever bobsleigh gold through Anthony Nash and Robin Dixon all the way back in 1964, brakewoman Sawyers and driver McNeill produced their best when it counted to snatch second overall.

Lying in fourth and just outside the medals after their first run the pair saved their best for last and produced a flying run of 55.66 seconds to split up the two Netherlands team in gold and bronze positions.

And the 17-year-old Sawyers struggled to contain her delight after claiming Team GB's first individual medal of the Games.

"This is just an incredible feeling, to have been fourth after the first run and then produce when we needed it to secure a medal feels amazing," said Sawyers.

"After we finished our run we thought it was going to be bronze which would have been amazing but to then grab silver, well there is no better moment than this in my life.

"We weren't happy with our first run, it was worse than our training runs so we didn't know what was going to happen but the second one couldn't have gone much better.

"We were really pleased, the push off went well and before we even knew our place we were saying to each other that there was nothing more that we could have done."

It was almost a double celebration on the final day in Innsbruck as Great Britain's other two-woman bobsleigh team Kirsten Emery and Frances Slater sat among the medals for most of the competition.

A fine second run of 55.92 seconds had Team GB dreaming of double success only for the duo to finish agonisingly off the podium in fourth.

And in the two-man competition James Lelliott and Oliver Biddulph rounded off a good final day fro Great Britain as they finished fifth.

But despite missing out on a medal by just one-tenth-of-a-second, there was no dampening 18-year-old Lelliott's mood.

"Unbelievable, it's absolutely unbelievable," Lelliott said.  "We wanted to come in the top six so we are more than happy with fifth.

"We got a personal best for our race time and a personal best for our start so we are delighted.

"We got one of the quickest rides in the second run, we gave it everything and went as well as we ever have.

"We missed out on a medal by a tiny amount but that's bobsleigh at the end of the day and we are happy with how we did."

The British Olympic Association prepares and leads British athletes at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games. It works in partnership with sport National Governing Bodies to enhance Olympic success and is responsible for championing the Olympic values. www.olympics.org.uk

(c) Sportsbeat 2012