The 2011/2012 Half-Season in Review
With four weeks of sliding over, the FIBT/IBSF World Cup is at its halfway point of the season. Between races being moved due to track closings to snow systematically trying to cancel every skeleton race in Germany, it’s been a particularly crazy start to the season. As the athletes work their way through the Tour de Germany, we’ll look back at the season that’s been, so far.
The schedule had a relatively “last minute” change when Cesana was closed due to lack of funding, giving a race to La Plagne, France, which hadn’t held a World Cup event in quite some time. From all reviews, the race went smoothly, and most seemed to be pleased with the way La Plagne and the IBSF both handled the situation.
Snow of course has also been a big deal. Since arriving in Germany, bobsled and skeleton athletes alike have had issues with snow, wind, and rain at both Winterberg and Altenberg. Questionable jury decisions about when to cancel races, when to throw out times, and when to just keep on racing have left onlookers slightly befuddled. Throw in some equally questionable decisions about when and when not to sweep the start areas and you’ve got some interesting decisions to look back on.
Women’s Skeleton
There’s been a lot of diversity atop the leaderboards in Women’s Skeleton so far this season. Of course, snow led to a very bizarre race in Winterberg, where the IBSF was trying out their three-race option, with the top 20 locking into the second heat as they always do, but then a third “all or nothing” heat being run with the top 10 after the top 20 ran.
Heavy snow came down in the middle of the first heat, but the jury allowed the race to continue. The second heat was cancelled, leaving contenders Anja Huber, Shelley Rudman and Mellisa Hollingsworth all on the outside looking in. That would be Amy Gough’s chance to shine, despite losing her father earlier in the week, she’d beat out Katharina Heinz and Marion Thees to win.
The first half of the season has had ups and downs for the Team USA athletes. Anne O’Shea has contended on most occasions, with a best finish of second (La Plagne) and an average finish of 7.5 leading to a world ranking of 7th, while Katie Uhlaender skipped the first week for USA Weightlifting trials, but has come on strong since. A bronze in La Plagne has anchored her to a world ranking of 11th, with an average finish of 4.6.
The Canadian women have fared better, with wins by both Mellisa Hollingsworth and Amy Gough this season. Hollingsworth’s bronze in Igls and win in La Plagne, combined with a fifth Altenberg has put her atop the world rankins, while Gough has struggled a little, but still sits 8th.
Hollingsworth is your point leader by 1 point over Marion Thees. Olga Potylitsina has a win, but also has an awful finish at Altenberg, while Katharina Heinz and Shelley Rudman round out the top five. Heinz has come on strong in Germany after a slow start to the season, while Rudman’s snowplow first run in Winterberg has set her back slightly, but she continues to be the front-runner of her British teammates.
Men’s Skeleton
The diversity atop the Men’s Skeleton leaderboard is inversely proportional to the diversity in Women’s. To say Latvia’s Martins Dukurs has dominated the season would be an understatement. Dukurs failed to lose a race in 2011, and started off 2012 the same way. More trouble in Winterberg for the sliders, as the three-race format had to be scrapped after heavy snow canceled the second heat.
Behind Martins Dukurs, it’s been a two-way battle between Russia’s Alexander Tretiakov and Tomass Dukurs. Tomass Dukurs had a season-worst 7th place finish in Winterberg, and has otherwise scored two silvers and a bronze, while Tretiakov has a 6th in Altenberg coupled with two bronzes and silver to his name.
So far it’s been a rather forgettable season for the American men, with Matt Antoine sitting 14th in the world. Much like his female American counterparts, his best race of the year was La Plagne, where he finished just off the podium in 4th. Otherwise, finishes of 10th, 19th and a 21st in Altenberg (where no American made it to heat 2) have plagued Antoine. John Daly took off without his number bib attached and was disqualified from Igls, and has a best finish of 14th (Winterberg), while Kyle Tress has been on the outside looking in, with a best finish of 17th (La Plagne).
The Canadian Men have been better, with Michael Douglas and Eric Neilson bringing up the back end of the Top 10 in the world rankings. Douglas has done no better than 7th,but no worse than 12th, and sits 9th overall, while Neilson contended for a podium in Winterberg, but also finished 20th in La Plagne and currently places 10th overall.
The top five in the world are the Dukurs Brothers (Martins then Thomass), followed by Tretiakov, Frank Rommel and Alexander Kroeckel, while a third German (Alexander Gassner) sits sixth.
Women’s Bobsled
Of all the disciplines run on a given IBSF race weekend, Women’s Bobsled has had the best luck weather-wise. Not to say they haven’t had their issues: Wind gusts in Winterberg messed with the second run, bumping what seemed like an unbeatable GER3 team back to second, while their GER2 teammates took gold.
The GER 2 team of Martini & Tischer hasn’t as much dominated as have been consistently toward the top. Their two wins (one with some windy help) are one more than teammates Schneiderheinze and Thöne. CAN 1 and Kaillie Humphries has the lone non-German win on the season coming in La Plagne.
Americans Elana Meyers and Bree Schaaf both rank in the top 10 in the world, with Meyers scoring a bronze in Igls. A 4th place in Winterberg, coupled with European Cup wins in Königssee have placed Meyers 6th overall, while Bree Schaaf has been consistent, with a season-best 5th in Altenberg to place 9th overall. Jazmine Fenlator has also slid well, sitting 14th in the world after sitting out Altenberg with Meyers as they trained in St. Moritz.
Despite her La Plagne win, Canadian Kallie Humphries sits 11th in the world after sitting out Altenberg. British slider Paula Walker sits 10th in the world, consistently around the top 10 every week.
Germany sits 1-2 in the world rankings, with Cathleen Martini ahead of Anja Schneiderheinze. Fabienne Meyer is third on the tails of three bronze medals in as many races. The third German sled piloted by Sandra Kiriasis sits fourth with Christina Hengster fifth.
Two-Man Bobsled
The race for the top world ranking in Two-Man Bobsled could be a lot tighter than it actually is. Weather in Winterberg cost Machata in GER 3 a clean start, and in Altenberg a shot at improving his position. That’s allowed the Florschuetz-piloted GER 1 sled to put some space between 1st and 2nd. Max Arndt has been consistant, with two 4ths, a 7th and a silver (Altenberg) to keep in third, while Swiss slider Beat Hefti’s decision to only concentrate in two-man has led to solid podium finishes in all three races this year, capped with a win in Igls.
Olympic four-man gold medalist, American Steven Holcomb, has been hurt in the past few races by weather. Heavy snow picked up just before his two-man run at Winterberg, leaving him 13th. A race later in Altenberg, Holcomb sat 5th after the first heat, only hundredths of a second back, but questionable weather canceled the second heat. A bronze and silver in the first two races, though, have propelled Holcomb to 5th overall. John Napier has had a tough go of it thusfar, unable to crack the top 10 at any World Cup race.
Canadian teams still sit 7th and 9th in the world rankings, despite no Canadian team racing in Altenberg after the four-man crash in Altenberg. Lyndon Rush is 7th, consistently hovering around a top 5 finish week in and week out (with an America’s Cup gold in Calgary added in). Chris Spring also has an America’s Cup win, but in World Cup action, finishes of 6th, 9th and 13th have left him 90 poitns back of his teammate.
Thomas Florschuetz is the two-man point leader, with Beat Hefti still in his tracks. Max Arndt is going to have some work to do if he wants to get past 3rd, while Oskars Melbardis and Holcomb are both within shouting distance of Arndt.
Four-Man Bobsled
The racing has been much closer in four-man bobsled, with Alexsandr Zubkov leading the way. His win in Igls, was followed by a disappointing run in La Plagne, where Zubkov ran a time .6 slower than winner Florschuetz’s winning second run. Silvers in the first two German races have propped the Russian ahead of all three German sleds, with Florschuetz ahead of Arndt and Machata. FLorschuetz has one win, but three bronzes, while Arndt’s most recent win helps propel him to third. Machata’s win in La Plagne is the sole podium this season in four-man. Alexander Kasjanov has finished no better than 4th but no worse than 6th.
Steven Holcomb is within a hundred points of Zubkov, leading the way for the United States despite only one podium finishes (silver in Igls). Bad luck with weather in Altenberg led to awful starts (by Holcomb’s standards) and a 9th place finish. John Napier sits 11th in World Cup standings, with finishes all outside the top 10.
The FIBT/IBSF World Cup races this weekend in Königssee. All three days’ action can be seen on FIBT TV by going to www.fibt.com and clicking on the “live streaming” link on the right.
