Winter Olympics: Kelsey Serwa wins women's ski cross gold

Canada's Kelsey Serwa claimed gold in the women's ski cross at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Serwa, 28, pulled away in the second half of the race to finish ahead of compatriot Brittany Phelan and Switzerland's Fanny Smith.

Competing at her first Winter Games, Great Britain's Emily Sarsfield, 34, was knocked out in the quarter-finals.

Canadian defending champion Marielle Thompson crashed out in the day's first heat.

"It is very surreal to be the best in the world at something you put your heart into," Serwa said.

"I had a plan and executed it, and was so fired up."

Canada have won the event all three times it has featured at the Olympics.

Sarsfield has not received any UK Sport funding and has been self-coached for all but the past six months of her 12 years on the ski circuit.

"I have funded it by setting up a ski school. I have worked multiple jobs through the summer," she said.

"It's a different route to my peers but it just makes me that little bit more hungry.

"Luckily British Ski and Snowboard employed a coach six months ago and he is with me here today, but for 11 and a half years I was basically learning this sport by copying what people were doing on videos and giving it a shot myself."