THE excitement of Team GB’s first Winter Olympic gold medal has touched Huddersfield skier Fiona Hughes more than most.

The Lindley cross-country skier has had a taste of the glory as she is rooming with skeleton bob star Amy Williams.

Williams slid to gold medal glory on Friday becoming the UK’s first individual Winter Olympic gold medallist in 30 years as she dominated the tough Whistler track.

For Fiona, the jubilation has spurred her on to succeed even more after she finished 68th place in her own event – the women’s 10km cross country skiing.

Speaking to The Examiner from the Olympic Village before Amy collected her gold, she said Amy had been so shattered she hadn’t even celebrated the historic win.

She said: “It was exciting just as a spectator.

“I stayed up until she got back, but we didn’t do anything wild to celebrate because she was too tired.

“It was exhausting for her, she spent hours after she’d won doing media stuff.

“She still seemed a bit in shock when she got back, but really, really pleased.

“I’m staying with the whole skeleton team and I think they were all out celebrating for her.”

And Fiona said the success of her roommate had given her a taste of Olympic glory and would help motivate her to train hard for the 2014 games in Russia.

“You can’t help, but want it to be you next time,” she said.

“Everyone was so behind her, the athletes, the crowd, it was so exciting.

“I’d definitely like it to be me next time. “If I put in the hard work and the training and all the hours over the next four years I hope I’ll come on leaps and bounds.”

Fiona also said attending the Vancouver games had been a great learning experience.

“The Olympic Games isn’t like any other competition, it takes some getting used to the whole scale of it.

“A lot of athletes have said the second games are different as you’re more relaxed because you know how it works.”

Fiona is returning to Huddersfield after the closing ceremony on February 28.

In the meantime she has been supporting her teammates, using Whistler’s Olympic facilities for training and has even been downhill skiing with her sister.

“The season’s definitely not over for me,” she added, “I’m going to have a few days at home and then I’ve got a cup race in Slovenia and a competition in Finland.

“I’ll have a month off in April and then the training starts all over again.”