{{short description|British sports woman|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Laura Deas | image = Laura Deas 2017 Lake Placid WC (1 of 3).jpg | caption = Deas in 2017 in Lake Placid | country = {{GBR2}} | sport = Skeleton | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1988|8|19}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Laura Deas - Olympic |url=https://www.olympic.org/laura-deas |website=olympic.org |publisher=International Olympic Committee |language=en |date=14 February 2020}}</ref> | birth_place = Wrexham, Wales<ref name="bbsa-profile"/> | death_date = | death_place = | height = 5 ft 6 in<ref name="bbsa-profile"/><ref name="stat">{{cite web |title=Laura Deas |url=https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/laura-deas/62zcHiraeuLPKCkvOac9Y |website=www.teamgb.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> | weight = 65 kg<ref name="bbsa-profile"/> | pb = | website = {{URL|http://www.lauradeas.co.uk/|LauraDeas.co.uk}} | titles = | worldcup = | worldchamp = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's skeleton}} {{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}} {{MedalOlympic}} {{MedalBronze|2018 Pyeongchang|Women}} {{Medal|Competition|World Championships}} {{Medal|Silver|2023 St. Moritz|Mixed team}} }} thumb|Fans in Igls – February 2016 '''Laura Isabelle Deas''' ({{IPAc-en|d|iː|z}} {{respell|DEEZ}}; born 19 August 1988) is a British sportswoman, best known as a skeleton racer on the World Cup circuit, representing the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association. She won bronze at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
==Early life== Born in Wrexham, Wales, Deas attended Howell's School, Denbigh. She played hockey, representing North Wales in competition, and participated in equestrian sports, from Pony Club tetrathlon in which she became team captain and latterly eventing (taking it up professionally from 2006 to 2008),<ref>{{cite web | accessdate = 21 December 2017 | publisher = Fédération Équestre Internationale | title = 10031738 – Laura DEAS (GBR) | url = http://www.fei.org/bios/Person/10031738}}</ref><ref name="bbsa-profile">{{cite web | accessdate = 21 December 2017 | publisher = British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association | title = Laura Deas | url = http://www.thebbsa.co.uk/the-team/directory/laura-deas}}</ref>
==Skeleton== Deas was brought into skeleton in 2009 through UK Sport's "Girls4Gold" talent identification programme and was selected to UK national team the following year. She rides a Blackroc sled.<ref name="ibsf-profile">{{cite web | url = http://www.ibsf.org/en/component/athletes/athlete/125090/DEAS | title = Laura DEAS | publisher = International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation | accessdate = 21 December 2017 | archive-date = 30 November 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151130004045/http://www.ibsf.org/en/component/athletes/athlete/125090/DEAS | url-status = dead }}</ref>
Deas won her first Europe Cup race in Winterberg in 2010, in only her fifth international race, after placing third in the two previous races. Deas finished fourth in her only Junior World Championships, in 2011 (her only year of eligibility) at Park City. In March 2012, she joined the North American Cup circuit for two races at Lake Placid, both with podium finishes. For the next two seasons, Deas competed in the Intercontinental Cup, where she had one third-place finish and two second-place finishes.<ref name="ibsf-profile"/>
She made her World Cup debut in the 2014–15 season, in which she claimed two medals, took seventh place in the world championships at Winterberg, and finished fifth overall. Deas earned her first World Cup victory in the opening race of the 2015–16 season.<ref name="WC round 1">{{cite web |url=http://www.thebbsa.co.uk/news-and-results/2015/dream-start-for-deas/ |title=Dream start for Deas |publisher=BBSA |accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref> The same season she also finished third at Lake Placid and fifth at the European Championships in St. Moritz. Her best European Championship result was fourth, in 2017 at Igls.<ref name="ibsf-profile"/>
In the overall World Cup rankings, Deas finished her first season in fifth place, with 1314 points.<ref>{{cite web | accessdate = 22 December 2017 | publisher = International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation | title = Standings (Women's Skeleton) (2014/2015) | url = http://www.ibsf.org/en/rankings/rankings?season=2014&ctype=6&session=WC}}</ref> The following year, despite earning more points, she dropped back to seventh place;<ref>{{cite web | accessdate = 22 December 2017 | publisher = International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation | title = Standings (Women's Skeleton) (2015/2016) | url = http://www.ibsf.org/en/rankings/rankings?season=2015&ctype=6&session=WC | archive-date = 1 February 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200201193248/https://www.ibsf.org/en/rankings/rankings?season=2015&ctype=6&session=WC | url-status = dead }}</ref> and in 2016–17, 1240 points was good enough for sixth place.<ref>{{cite web | accessdate = 22 December 2017 | publisher = International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation | title = Standings (Women's Skeleton) (2016/2017) | url = http://www.ibsf.org/en/rankings/rankings?season=2016&ctype=6&session=WC}}</ref>
Deas featured in the Olympic team for the first time in 2018 after finishing the World Cup season standings in seventh place, ahead of fellow Team GB skeletoner and defending Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold.<ref>{{cite press release | accessdate = 22 January 2018 | date = 22 January 2018 | publisher = British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association | url = http://www.thebbsa.co.uk/2016/quartet-earn-olympic-skeleton-spots/ | title = Quartet earn Olympic Skeleton spots}}</ref> She took the bronze medal behind winner Yarnold and silver medallist Jacqueline Lölling, thus becoming the first Welsh woman to win a Winter Olympic medal.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Tom |title=Deas confirms Beijing 2022 aim |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-sports/50663182 |work=BBC Sport}}</ref> Deas competed for Great Britain again in the 2022 Winter Olympics and finished in 19th place,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenational.wales/sport/19916592.laura-deas-skeleton-setback-winter-olympics-beijing/|title=Laura Deas' skeleton setback at Winter Olympics in Beijing|date=11 February 2022|author=Tom Harle|website=The National|access-date=23 February 2022|language=en}}</ref> a result that has since been attributed to inadequate equipment.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ingle |first1=Sean |title=Equipment blamed for Team GB’s dismal skeleton performances |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/11/equipment-blamed-for-team-gbs-dismal-skeleton-performances |website=Guardian |access-date=6 February 2026}}</ref>
Having not raced since February 2023, missing the 2023–24 season on maternity leave, Deas announced her retirement from skeleton racing in April 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cn8vdqqnq54o|title=Olympic skeleton bronze medallist Deas retires|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=28 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/winter-olympics/laura-deas-retirement-skeleton-winter-olympics-b2740647.html|title=Winter Olympic medallist Laura Deas retires from skeleton|publisher=The Independent|accessdate=28 April 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{Sports links}} *[http://www.thebbsa.co.uk/the-team/directory/laura-deas Laura Deas] at the British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deas, Laura}} Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Wrexham Category:British female skeleton racers Category:Team Bath winter athletes Category:Welsh Olympic competitors Category:Olympic skeleton racers for Great Britain Category:Skeleton racers at the 2018 Winter Olympics Category:Skeleton racers at the 2022 Winter Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics Category:Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain Category:Olympic medalists in skeleton