Christie: PyeongChang still feels a long way away

The short track speed skater has been hampered by a thigh injury throughout the year, with only the fourth and final World Cup round in Seoul giving her a proper feel of the ice.

Her performance was far from lacking though, securing 500m gold with a display to hint that big things could follow at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

But despite the countdown approaching the 60-days-to-go mark, Christie still feels like a return to South Korea is a long way down the road, both in terms of time and potential performance.

"It wasn't my best World Cup season: I was injured at the first event, didn't really do the second one and then just raced over two distances in Seoul," she wrote in her column for Metro.

"It might be getting ever nearer but in some ways the Games feel a long way away still. I'm heading off into camp with the team now and there is just so much to do.

"In a normal year I wouldn't have been competing really but PyeongChang looms large now and at least I have plenty of time to correct the problem before the Olympics.

"I'd been so down about the injury leading into Seoul, not because the Olympics are just two-and-a-half months away now, but because of the toll it was taking on me.

"There was pressure to guarantee the team three spots at the Games so I had to compete and now I'm really happy."

Becoming a triple world champion in the year alone, 2017 will certainly not be one to forget for the 27-year-old.

But before the New Year there is plenty more excitement to come from her Sports Personality of the Year nomination, an apt reward for one of Great Britain's biggest medal prospects in PyeongChang.

"There has also been the small matter of being nominated for Sports Personality of the Year, which is an unbelievable lift and something I never thought in my wildest dreams would happen," she added.

"[Having the time off the ice has] been weird – in a good way - actually having a bit of quality time with my boyfriend, [Hungarian skater Shaolin Liu].

"It's the first time in a long time we've had a few days together away from the ice — but at least I usually have my dogs to keep me company!

"I just hope we are both successful if selected for the PyeongChang Olympics."

Sportsbeat 2017