2013 FIBT World Championships – Women’s Skeleton

From St. Moritz, Switzerland

British slider Shelley Rudman had won three of the last four races at St. Moritz, and at the end of this world championships Rudman can make it four of five.  Shelley Rudman dominated the first day of sliding at the Swiss track, and despite a couple big runs by American Noelle Pikus-Pace, Rudman is the 2013 world champion.  Pikus-Pace threw down two big runs but couldn’t overcome the full second advantage that Rudman had built after the first day of sliding.  Pikus-Pace made up almost a half second on Rudman and that was easily good enough for silver.

“It went really well yesterday, so I was a bit really relaxed coming into today.  I didn’t really expect to win until it was all over, but things went well,” said Rudman on her win.  She brings home the first ever women’s skeleton world championship for British Skeleton.

The closest podium race was for bronze, where Lizzy Yarnold came into the day with a .32 lead over Sarah Reid, who came into Friday in sixth.  Reid’s first move was from sixth to fourth, and then on her final run Reid out-paced Yarnold to take bronze.  Yarnold’s fourth run was clean but just lacked a bit of speed, and is only good enough for fourth.

Canadian Mellisa Hollingsworth picked up a spot to finish fifth, passing Australian slider Michelle Steele, who wedges her way between Hollingsworth and American Katie Uhlaender for sixth.  Uhlaender finishes seventh.

The third Canadian in the race, rookie standout Cassie Hawrysh pieced together four consistent runs and finishes 12th, while the third British slider, Donna Creighton, finishes 21st.

Results: