Great Britain netminder Ben Bowns says to win a gold medal on home ice is such a proud feeling.

GB beat Japan 4-0 in Belfast’s SSE Arena to win promotion to Division 1 Group A, the second tier of the World Championship structure.

“It is an amazing moment to win gold and I am proud of everyone,” said Bowns.

“We have had such a great week and to win the gold on home ice is magical.

“It is a moment that will live with us all for a long, long time.

“We played one of the best games of our careers out there and Japan could not cope with us.

“After the disappointment of two silver medals, we were not going to let it happen a third time.

“It is fantastic to achieve this with such an amazing group of players.”