From Sigulda, LAT
(January 30, 2025) – Inola Blatty slid to her second career gold medal on Friday as she dominated the field in Sigulda.
Blatty was the sixth slider off the top in the first heat and set the quick start of the competition on her way to a .46 second advantage over Czechia’s Patricia Tajcnarova, with Swiss teammate Selina Isler in third.
In the second heat, Isler bested Romania’s Georgeta Popescu by over a full second to take the lead and secure herself a medal with only Tajcnarova and Blatty remaining.
The Czech slider was next. For the second time in as many heats she outstarted everyone but Blatty and took the lead from Tajcnarova by .65.
Blatty was the final slider in the race. Her both her second start and second slide were slower than her first, but still quicker than anyone else in the heat as the Swiss pilot won gold by .64 over Tajcnarova, with no one else within a second.
Blatty’s second win came in her seventh race, with her previous victory in Lillehammer during the 2023/2024 season.
Tajcnarova’s silver was her second straight, and third medal overall.
Popescu was the fourth quickest in both heats on her way to a fourth-place finish, ahead of Latvia’s Amelija Kotane and Spain’s Leanna Garcia in fifth and sixth.
Jamaica Mica Moore and the Netherlands’ Robin Post rounded out the eight sled field.
Results:
Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
1 | Inola Blatty | SUI | 6 | 5.72 | 5.74 | 53.80 | 55.07 | 1:48.87 |
2 | Patricia Tajcnarova | CZE | 7 | 5.79 | 5.82 | 54.26 | 55.25 | 1:49.51 |
3 | Selina Isler | SUI | 4 | 5.83 | 5.86 | 54.47 | 55.69 | 1:50.16 |
4 | Georgeta Popescu | ROU | 8 | 5.94 | 5.96 | 54.92 | 56.27 | 1:51.19 |
5 | Amelija Kotane | LAT | 3 | 5.99 | 6.01 | 55.12 | 56.53 | 1:51.65 |
6 | Leanna Garcia | ESP | 1 | 6.23 | 6.23 | 55.14 | 56.65 | 1:51.79 |
7 | Mica Moore | JAM | 2 | 5.96 | 6.08 | 56.21 | 57.41 | 1:53.62 |
8 | Robin Post | NED | 5 | 6.33 | 6.57 | 61.11 | 57.29 | 1:58.40 |