WATERFOOT'S Kristan Bromley clawed back six places after a disappointing first run in the skeleton bob - but he had left himself too much to do in his second run at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City yesterday.

The former Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School pupil was lying 19th after the first run yesterday afternoon - a poor slide for a former World Cup winner who was tipped to at least make it into the top ten.

But the 29-year-old came back in his second run and managed to move up to 13th.

He is now setting his sights on the next Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006 when the design engineer - who designs the sleds for the British team including the women's bronze medal winner's Alex Coomber - is hoping to improve the equipment.

"The building blocks are in place and we need to continue the success," he said.

"We have now got to learn and build for Turin. We have made big steps forward with the research and the technical side is something we have got to continue."

Galway-born aristocrat Clifton Wrottesley just missed out on claiming Ireland's first winter medal, finishing in fourth in the event.

Meanwhile Coomber celebrated her Winter Games bronze medal by sinking a glass of champagne in the Dead Goat Saloon last night, and said she still could not believe that the party was for her.

Coomber said she has got no concept of the magnitude of her third place in the women's skeleton, which was watched at Park City by her two sisters, two brothers-in-law and two young nephews.

Britain's Chef de Mission Simon Clegg did. Clegg took a telephone call from Ogden moments after Coomber's bronze to learn that Britain's curling team had gone through to the final.

With that, he broke down in tears.

Coomber's was Britain's first Winter Olympic medal in an individual event since Nicky Gooch grabbed speed skating bronze in Lillehammer eight years ago.

The fame will sit slightly uncomfortably upon the 5ft 4ins Coomber's shoulders.

One of her first intentions upon realising her medal dream was to ring home and check her dog, Fogarty - named after one of her heroes, Blackburn's four times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty - had enjoyed it.

She had no worries there - he had been placed in front of a television screen with a Union Jack tied around his neck.

"It might hit me but I still haven't come to terms with being here, let alone racing or winning a medal," said Coomber, who woke up at 2.30am on the morning of the race.

"Maybe that helped me in the race. You see everything going on and you think, wow, this is the Olympics, this is really cool.

"Well it is actually the Olympics. I'm me, I don't go to the Olympics. I don't win an Olympic medal."