From Igls, AUT
(Dec. 15, 2017) The Canadian women continued their strong skeleton showing on the IBSF World Cup with a pair of medals, inserting themselves well into a competitive European Championships.
Mimi Rahneva came into her second run in seventh place, needing a big run and some help to move her way into the medals. Her second run was the second fastest at every split, and her second run time was second quickest of the heat to put pressure on the women in front of her. After her trip down, Kimberley Bos, Laura Deas, and Janine Flock all made small mistakes on their runs, sinking their chances at a World Cup medal and putting Rahneva with a shot of the medals.
Elisabeth Vathje, coming down with just Jacqueline Lölling and Elena Nikitina to follow, set a blistering time of her own, with only Rahneva quicker in the run to that point. Lölling made an uncharacteristic mistake on her second run to drop out of the medals, giving Canada two medals in Igls.
Elena Nikitina won the event on the strength of race-best starts on what is definitely considered a “starter’s track”.
Lölling settled for fourth, with Flock and Deas rounding out the top six.
The race in Igls doubled as the European Championships, with Nikitina winning gold ahead of Lölling and Flock.
One of the characteristics of the Igls course is that it lends itself to many ties throughout the field, and that could not have been more apparent than in the women’s skeleton race where going into the second heat four women (Kendall Wesenberg, Tina Hermann, Kim Meylemans, and Lizzy Yarnold) were tied for tenth. Breaking that tie, and then moving up two more places was the United States’ Kendall Wesenberg, who finished eighth to lead the way for the United States. Savannah Graybill finished 20th, while Katie Uhlaender nursed an injured hamstring to a 27th place finish.
Lizzy Yarnold and Madelaine Smith finished 16th and 17th for Great Britain, while Jane Channell of Canada finished tied for 14th with Germany’s Anna Fernstädt.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Elena Nikitina | RUS | 9 | 5.17 | 5.14 | 54.41 | 54.39 | 1:48.80 |
| 2 | Elisabeth Vathje | CAN | 4 | 5.41 | 5.34 | 54.78 | 54.60 | 1:49.38 |
| 3 | Mirela Rahneva | CAN | 10 | 5.35 | 5.26 | 54.98 | 54.46 | 1:49.44 |
| 4 | Jacqueline Lölling | GER | 7 | 5.61 | 5.59 | 54.73 | 54.74 | 1:49.47 |
| 5 | Janine Flock | AUT | 15 | 5.43 | 5.39 | 54.90 | 54.71 | 1:49.61 |
| 6 | Laura Deas | GBR | 12 | 5.30 | 5.31 | 54.95 | 54.67 | 1:49.62 |
| 7 | Kimberley Bos | NED | 17 | 5.41 | 5.41 | 54.97 | 54.75 | 1:49.72 |
| 8 | Kendall Wesenberg | USA | 19 | 5.51 | 5.41 | 55.21 | 54.78 | 1:49.99 |
| 9 | Maria Orlova | RUS | 22 | 5.38 | 5.42 | 55.11 | 54.94 | 1:50.05 |
| 9 | Lelde Priedulena | LAT | 16 | 5.36 | 5.35 | 55.05 | 55.00 | 1:50.05 |
| 11 | Tina Hermann | GER | 6 | 5.59 | 5.52 | 55.21 | 54.93 | 1:50.14 |
| 11 | Kim Meylemans | BEL | 8 | 5.47 | 5.41 | 55.21 | 54.93 | 1:50.14 |
| 13 | Marina Gilardoni | SUI | 18 | 5.38 | 5.35 | 55.24 | 54.91 | 1:50.15 |
| 14 | Jane Channell | CAN | 5 | 5.28 | 5.30 | 55.29 | 54.94 | 1:50.23 |
| 14 | Anna Fernstädt | GER | 13 | 5.67 | 5.71 | 55.27 | 54.96 | 1:50.23 |
| 16 | Lizzy Yarnold | GBR | 14 | 5.43 | 5.44 | 55.21 | 55.14 | 1:50.35 |
| 17 | Madelaine Smith | GBR | 24 | 5.41 | 5.46 | 55.28 | 55.34 | 1:50.62 |
| 18 | Renata Khuzina | RUS | 25 | 5.48 | 5.50 | 55.55 | 55.26 | 1:50.81 |
| 19 | Sophia Jeong | KOR | 26 | 5.46 | 5.38 | 55.67 | 55.34 | 1:51.01 |
| 20 | Savannah Graybill | USA | 21 | 5.61 | 5.64 | 55.66 | 55.74 | 1:51.40 |
| 21 | Valentina Margaglio | ITA | 29 | 5.41 | 55.68 | |||
| 22 | Jaclyn Narracott | AUS | 20 | 5.52 | 55.78 | |||
| 23 | Joska le Conte | NED | 23 | 5.55 | 55.81 | |||
| 24 | Maria Marinela Mazilu | ROU | 2 | 5.57 | 55.90 | |||
| 25 | Nozomi Komuro | JPN | 27 | 5.44 | 55.90 | |||
| 26 | Maria Montejano | ESP | 3 | 5.63 | 56.01 | |||
| 27 | Takako Oguchi | JPN | 1 | 5.59 | 56.02 | |||
| 28 | Katie Uhlaender | USA | 11 | 5.92 | 56.05 | |||
| 29 | Maya Pedersen | NOR | 28 | 5.63 | 56.72 |
