WILTSHIRE slider Laura Deas finished fifth as British Skeleton enjoyed a fine day at the European Championships last week as four of her team-mates recorded their best-ever top flight results.

Deas, who lives in Chippenham, produced her best World Cup result since winning Olympic bronze last year, while Madelaine Smith recorded her best-ever showing with World Cup eighth and European Championship seventh in Igls, Austria.

In the men’s race, it was personal bests all round as Marcus Wyatt’s superb effort saw him finish sixth in the World Cup and fifth in the continental competition.

Jerry Rice built on his top 10 at his debut Olympics with joint ninth (equal eighth in the Euros) and Jack Thomas matched his previous World Cup best of 15th (European 13th).

Kim Murray placed 20th in the women’s race as all six Brits made it through to a second run in the fourth competition of the season.

Deas' fifth spot beat her eighth-place finish in Altenberg last time out and was her own World Cup best since finishing fifth in both Park City and Lake Placid in November 2017.