2013 FIBT World Championships – Women’s Skeleton – Heat 3

From St. Moritz, Switzerland

Last year’s FIBT World Cup season champion Shelley Rudman will go into the fourth and final women’s skeleton world championship heat as the leader, but with Noelle Pikus-Pace set to try to make one more run at her.  Pikus-Pace ate slightly into Rudman’s lead, chipping .18 off the full second lead, but leaving the American still .82 out of a gold medal.  Pikus-Pace not only made up some ground on Rudman, but also put some space between herself and the race for bronze.

Lizzy Yarnold came into the third heat in the bronze medal position, which is where she finished in the 2012 world championships.  Closing in on her, though, is Canadian Sarah Reid.  Reid leapfrogged teammate Mellisa Hollingsworth and Aussie Michelle Steele to come into the fourth and final heat just a tenth out of bronze.  Steele, Hollingsworth and defending champion Katie Uhlaender all ran near-identical times and stayed in order, and will go into the final heat fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.

British slider Donna Creighton came into the third heat just .01 behind Dutch slider Joska Le Conte, and only .02 ahead of German Anja Huber.  Le Conte’s run was iffy through the Horseshoe turn, and she found herself passed by Creighton.  Creighton would only stay in 20th for one run, as Anja Huber leapfrogged the Brit and left Creighton 21st.   Huber will go into the final heat in 19th.

The third Canadian slider, rookie standout Cassie Hawrysh, will go into the final heat in 11th.  Hawrysh is just under four tenth of a second out of a top 10, just behind Olga Potylitsina.

Results after Heat 3: