Fans Flock to hail Janine after sliding into Sigulda record books once again

Janine Flock soared to a Sigulda track record for the second consecutive week as she continued her stunning start to the women's skeleton World Cup season in Latvia.

The Austrian ace stopped the clock in 51.49s in her first run last week but went 0.02s quicker in her first run seven days later before bettering that by another 0.01s second time down to topple Elena Nikitina by over half a second.

Kimberley Bos and Tina Hermann tied for third but it was Flock who stole the show as two searing efforts propelled her to a second straight win of the World Cup campaign.

The three-time European champion crossed the line in 51.47s in her first run to open up a promising 0.31s lead over Russia's Nikitina, with Bos closely behind with a time of 51.88s.

And she went even faster on her second as a thrilling 51.46s lowered the Sigulda record once more and catapulted her to an eighth World Cup victory of her glittering career.

Nikitina, who claimed bronze at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, mustered a second run of 51.80s while Hermann notched a time 0.1s faster than Bos to draw level and scoop a spot on the podium.

Laura Deas secured her second top-six finish in two races after coming fifth, while fellow British star Ashleigh Fay Pittaway celebrated a career-best performance of eighth after sliding home behind Kim Meylemans and reigning World Cup champion Jacqueline Loelling.

Precocious Pittaway, 20, completed consistent runs of 52.18s and 52.17s to finish just over a tenth of a second behind three-time world champion Loelling, who beat Flock to the overall title by 18 points last term.

And 32-year-old Deas, who won bronze for Team GB at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, stopped the clock in 52.11s and a speedy 51.89s to finish just behind Bos and Hermann.

The World Cup will next travel to Igls, Austria, Flock's home track, where the record-breaking star will hope to extend her hegemony after a flawless start to the campaign.