Ice queen Amy Williams insists she still has plenty to achieve in the skeleton world despite her sensational gold medal triumph at the Winter Olympics.

Williams received a hero's welcome in Bath last week when she brought back TeamGB's only medal from Vancouver 2010.

The 27-year-old's newfound status as the face of winter sport in this country seems secure for at least four years but in the coming months she must balance the series of exciting engagements that will come her way with her preparations for a return to the skeleton circuit and the 2010-11 World Cup season, which starts in November.

As she settled back into life at her "sporting home", the University of Bath Sports Training Village, the morning after her open-top bus tour around the city drew 5,000 people out from their homes, offices and schools, Williams outlined her goals for the future and remains as hungry as ever as she approaches her what she believes will be her peak years.

She told the Chronicle: "People say 'you've got the ultimate thing now and why would you want to keep going?'.

"For me it is still an achievement to get a gold medal in the World Cup. I don't have one of those. I've been top six in pretty much every race over the years but I want to now be in the top three in every race.

"For me, that is a big achievement that I want to keep at. Then there's the World Championships.

"It's not a case of dominating but making your mark in skeleton and to be the one always standing in those top three positions so that's what I'm aiming for."

Yet while Williams' high expectations of herself are now matched by the general public, she warned that the new legion of skeleton fans in Britain may have to be patient over the next year or two.

"I know everybody will say 'wow, you're going to win every race now' but the point is that every track is different and every day is different on a track and it doesn't always happen," said Williams.

"I'll head back to the gym in May. I was always going to do that. I accept I am not going to be training as hard as I have done over the past year or two.

"I know there will still be lots of outside commitments that I want to take up and, physically, I know I'm not going to be in the same shape. Yes, that might show in my performances next year but I'm prepared for that.

"I'm going to take this opportunity while I've got it, even if it means taking one slightly easier year in the summer.

"It will be a gradual build-up to Sochi 2014 and I'll increase what I'm doing and do exactly what I did in these last four years. The year before an Olympics is obviously incredibly hard."

Williams will be kept on her toes not only by her rivals from winter sport powerhouses like Canada and Germany but from her British team- mates.

The University of Bath-based British Skeleton programme has delivered three different medallists at the last three Olympics and has plenty of talent waiting in the wings behind its long-established top two of Williams and Shelley Rudman.

Donna Creighton, who trains in Bath, was disappointed to miss out on selection for Vancouver having impressed alongside Williams and Rudman in her World Cup debut season.

Williams said: "It is very competitive. There are some really good girls out there.

"Sarah Sydney, one of the girls on the programme, has a phenomenal push and now that everyone is on a level playing field with regard to sleds, everyone is fighting for places.

"I'm still going to have to fight in British selection races. It's not just going to be a waltz in the park for me. Sometimes you're just not good on a track and if you're not quick on the day you might not get picked.

"Every race is a challenge still and I'm not going to take anything for granted. I've got to train and work really hard."

DON'T MISS THIS WEEK'S CHRONICLE FOR AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE LOCAL SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS BEHIND AMY WILLIAMS' OLYMPIC TRIUMPH