Form Pyeongchang, KOR
(November 8, 2024) – Belgium’s Kim Meylemans edged out partner and teammate Nicole Silviera to win gold in the first ever Asian Cup women’s skeleton race, held in Pyeongchang.
Meylemans took the lead in the first heat by .32 over Brazil’s Silveira, with China’s Dan Zhao back in third. The Belgian’s first push was bested only by Italy’s Valentina Margaglio, who was back in 12th.
In the second heat it was Czechia’s Anna Fermstädt who put down a big slide to take the lead from the 11th position after her first run. Her 54.07 was enough to hang onto the lead for eight spots as she edged out reigning World Cup champ Kimberley Bos to grab a spot on the podium.
Silveira’s second effort was a hundredth quicker than her first, and enough to take the lead from Fernstädt with only Meylemans to go.
Meylemans, who’s won give World Cup medals plus a silver in last year’s World Championships, threw down a quicker second start than her first and while her second run wasn’t quite as quick as her first it was enough to hold off Silveira to win gold by .24, with Fernstädt in third.
The gold for Meylemans, the previous season’s World Cup runner-up, was the fourth win of her sliding career. She’d previously won Europe Cup races in Igls, Winterberg, and most recently Sigulda.
Bos finished just off the podium in fourth, .02 behind Fernstädt and .02 ahead of China’s Dan Zhao. USA’s Mystique Ro’s second push was .02 off of Meyleman’s start time as she slid from eighth to sixth in the second heat.
With the IBSF World Cup set to start in just over a week, the Asian Cup event was effectively a World Cup warmup event for the bulk of the tour with 44 sliders int the field.
Katie Uhlaender helped put two Americans in the top ten with a tenth place finish. Her day ended just behind the three Germans, with Hannah Neise, Jacqueline Pfeiffer, and Susanne Kreher in seventh to ninth place.
Sara Roderick finished the race in 15th place, while Kelly Curtis made her return to action after a year off on maternity leave and finished 26th.
Great Britain’s Amelia Coltman finished 16th, one spot ahead of teammate Freya Tarbit and Italy’s Margaglio, who were tied for 17th. Tabitha Stoecker finished 23rd.
Reigning world champ Hallie Clarke finished in 20th as the top Canadian, .02 ahead of teammate Jane Channell in 21st. Grace Dafoe rounded out the Canadian effort in 35th.
The Asian Cup races continue on Saturday with Race 2. The first half of the AC season will conclude just before the beginning of the World Cup races in Pyeongchang on Thursday and Friday next week.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
| 1 | Kim Meylemans | BEL | 5 | 5.09 | 5.07 | 53.86 | 54.25 | 1:48.11 |
| 2 | Nicole Silviera | BRA | 17 | 5.23 | 5.24 | 54.18 | 54.17 | 1:48.35 |
| 3 | Anna Fernstädt | CZE | 35 | 5.33 | 5.37 | 55.04 | 54.07 | 1:49.11 |
| 4 | Kimberley Bos | NED | 8 | 5.26 | 5.27 | 54.68 | 54.45 | 1:49.13 |
| 5 | Dan Zhao | CHN | 15 | 5.20 | 5.13 | 54.64 | 54.51 | 1:49.15 |
| 6 | Mystique Ro | USA | 9 | 5.15 | 5.09 | 54.80 | 54.36 | 1:49.16 |
| 7 | Hannah Neise | GER | 2 | 5.38 | 5.36 | 54.82 | 54.64 | 1:49.46 |
| 8 | Jacqueline Pfeiffer | GER | 3 | 5.40 | 5.35 | 54.73 | 54.83 | 1:49.56 |
| 9 | Susanne Kreher | GER | 7 | 5.19 | 5.21 | 54.75 | 54.90 | 1:49.65 |
| 10 | Katie Uhlaender | USA | 1 | 5.41 | 5.33 | 54.79 | 54.87 | 1:49.66 |
| 11 | Alessandra Fumagalli | ITA | 11 | 5.22 | 5.20 | 55.21 | 54.53 | 1:49.74 |
| 12 | Sujung Hong | KOR | 23 | 5.46 | 5.43 | 55.49 | 54.29 | 1:49.78 |
| 13 | Alessia Crippa | ITA | 12 | 5.18 | 5.17 | 53.36 | 54.80 | 1:50.16 |
| 14 | Corinna Liepold | GER | 20 | 5.29 | 5.29 | 55.83 | 54.35 | 1:50.18 |
| 15 | Sara Roderick | USA | 27 | 5.12 | 5.15 | 55.55 | 54.92 | 1:50.47 |
| 16 | Amelia Coltman | GBR | 14 | 5.24 | 5.22 | 55.21 | 55.27 | 1:50.48 |
| 17 | Valentina Margaglio | ITA | 4 | 5.05 | 5.20 | 55.12 | 55.40 | 1:50.52 |
| 17 | Freya Tarbit | GBR | 18 | 5.30 | 5.26 | 55.38 | 55.14 | 1:50.52 |
| 19 | Anna Saulite | AUT | 21 | 5.44 | 5.40 | 55.66 | 54.93 | 1:50.59 |
| 20 | Hallie Clarke | CAN | 13 | 5.25 | 5.27 | 55.01 | 55.67 | 1:50.68 |
| 21 | Jane Channell | CAN | 16 | 5.13 | 5.17 | 55.41 | 55.29 | 1:50.70 |
| 22 | Yuxin Liang | CHN | 33 | 5.17 | 5.18 | 55.76 | 54.96 | 1:50.72 |
| 23 | Tabitha Stoecker | GBR | 6 | 5.15 | 5.12 | 55.64 | 55.18 | 1:50.82 |
| 24 | Yuxi Li | CHN | 19 | 5.18 | 5.14 | 55.25 | 55.63 | 1:50.88 |
| 25 | Julia Simmchen | SUI | 29 | 5.48 | 5.54 | 55.89 | 55.67 | 1:51.56 |
| 26 | Kelly Curtis | USA | 31 | 5.34 | 56.07 | |||
| 27 | Yangqi Zhu | CHN | 40 | 5.22 | 56.12 | |||
| 28 | Darta Zunte | EST | 32 | 5.27 | 56.14 | |||
| 29 | Kellie Delka | PUR | 7 | 5.38 | 56.29 | |||
| 30 | Nicole Burger | RSA | 34 | 5.29 | 56.49 | |||
| 31 | Aline Pelckmans | BEL | 2 | 5.55 | 56.50 | |||
| 32 | Siji Song | CHN | 41 | 5.33 | 56.64 | |||
| 33 | Clara Aznar | ESP | 29 | 5.36 | 56.67 | |||
| 34 | Yeeun Chung | KOR | 36 | 5.79 | 56.85 | |||
| 35 | Grace Dafoe | CAN | 28 | 5.39 | 57.20 | |||
| 36 | Ana Torres Quevedo | ESP | 1 | 5.61 | 57.48 | |||
| 37 | Guanshuo Wang | CHN | 44 | 5.25 | 57.61 | |||
| 38 | Laura Vargas | COL | 3 | 5.60 | 57.68 | |||
| 39 | Yerim Kim | KOR | 38 | 5.53 | 57.91 | |||
| 40 | Nanna Johansen | DEN | 43 | 5.65 | 57.99 | |||
| 41 | Sara Schmied | SUI | 42 | 5.42 | 58.01 | |||
| 42 | Minji Kim | KOR | 45 | 5.68 | 58.19 | |||
| 43 | Eire Rowland-Evans | IRL | 37 | 5.47 | 58.39 | |||
| 44 | Hannah Russwurm | FIN | 39 | 5.44 | 58.70 | |||
| DNS | Janine Flock | AUT | 26 | DNS |
