Britain’s Shelley Rudman just missed out on the medals at the Skeleton World Championships at the Konigssee track in Germany (Saturday 26th). The 2006 Olympic Winter Games silver medallist ended the competition in fourth place as German sliders took gold and silver.
Rudman had clawed her way up from sixth overnight to fourth place in her first run of the day and her third of the competition, but was still 0.39 seconds off Canada’s Mellisa Hollingsworth in the bronze medal position.
Rudman, who has already finished second in the 2010/11 World Cup series and won the European Championship, threw down the gauntlet with her fastest run yet on the final run, clocking a time of 52.22. Both of her two final runs were only bettered by gold medal winner Marion Thees, but she had left herself with a little too much to do to reach the podium.
Gold went to Thees of Germany, with team-mate Anja Huber taking silver and Canada’s Hollingsworth taking bronze.
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Related reports:
Skeleton: Amy Williams omitted from Team GB World Champs squad
Skeleton: Rudman finishes second in overall 2010/11 World Cup series
Skeleton: Shelley Rudman wins European Championship gold
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Andi Schmid, British Skeleton performance director, said: “It was a bit of a copy of the last Olympics for Shelley when the first run killed her. She had a disappointing first run yesterday, but then she was just incredible. She couldn’t have done much more today.
“It was a great performance today, she was second in both runs and was faster than Anja Huber on her home track, but she just left it a bit too late.”
Team-mate Donna Creighton, who earlier this season ended her first campaign on the World Cup circuit by finishing sixth, came 13th overall at the World Championships. She continued to produce some of the best starts of the championships but dropped down a place on her overnight position of 12th.
“Her push times were great, but she needs to improve the consistency of her sliding, then it will come. Like Shelley, Donna has had a great season,” said Schmid.
Women’s World Championships final standings:
Gold: Marion Thees (GER) – 3:28.51
Silver: Anja Huber (GER) – 3:29.39 (+0.88)
Bronze: Mellissa Hollingsworth (CAN) – 3:29.74 (+1.23)
4th: Shelley Rudman (GBR) – 3:30.05 (+1.54)
13th: Donna Creighton (GBR) – 3:33.29 (+4.78)
Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
