Despite experiencing her first ever crash in a training run in Germany last month, the 26-year-old was just as dominant as in Sochi as she opened up a comfortable lead on the first run before easing clear further on the second, to triumph by 0.77 seconds.

Elizabeth Vathje of Canada, a silver medallist at the 2014 World Junior Championships, took a surprise silver medal on her World Cup debut, while Austria's European champion Janine Flock placed third.

With two of the biggest names in the sport, Olympic silver medallist Noelle Pikus-Pace of the US and Britain's world champion Shelley Rudman, absent this year, due to retirement and pregnancy respectively, it is hard to see where a sustained challenge to Yarnold will come from.

"I knew I had to bring my best and fortunately I did," said the race winner.

"With it being early in the season I was a bit apprehensive that I wouldn't be fast enough.

"There have been so many retirements, but the younger athletes are so good and that is pushing me to go quicker."