From Whistler, CAN
(November 24, 2022) – It’s rare that an athlete scores their first World Cup medal after already winning an Olympic gold medal, but that’s exactly what Germany’s Hannah Neise did to open the 2022/2023 IBSF World Cup season.
Neise, whose previous best World Cup finish had been fourth, entered the second heat behind World Cup rookie Hallie Clarke of the United States. Neise put down a solid second run, the third quickest of the heat to move into the lead with only Clarke to go.
Clarke, making her World Cup debut on her home track, put down a strong start and had an early lead. However, some issues mid-run scrubbed off any contending speed she had and as she crossed the line she found herself .18 behind Neise and in second place and tied with Great Britain’s Brogan Crowley.
Crowley, whose previous best finish was a fifth place in Igls, broke the start record on her second start and put down a strong run all the way down the 2010 Olympic track to jump up from sixth place in the first heat to tie for silver with Clarke.
Czechia’s Anna Fernstädt finished fourth, up from fifth in the first heat, to score her best World Cup finish since a silver medal in Königssee during the 2020/2021 season. Olympic silver medalist Kimberley Bos and four-time world champion Tina Hermann rounded out the top six in fifth and sixth, respectively.
Canada had two big medal hopes for the women, with Mimi Rahneva and Jane Channell. Like some of the men earlier in the day, Rahneva had trouble at the start of her first heat. She rallied to finish seventh. Channell entered the second heat in third place but had a bumpy second run and fell to a tie for eighth with Brazil’s Nicole Silveira, the 2021/2022 North American Cup champion.
Outside of Clarke’s finish, it was a tough go of it north of the border for the United States. Kelly Curtis ended the first heat in a tie for 11th with 2018 Olympic bronze medalist Laura Deas, but was able to break that tie and hold onto 11th, while Deas finished 12th. Kendall Wesenberg was a late add to the USA World Cup team, never really found her groove, and finished 15th.
Australia’s Jackie Narracott, the Olympic silver medalist, had a tough couple of runs in Whistler and finished 13th.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Hannah Neise | GER | 13 | 5.03 | 5.04 | 53.71 | 53.69 | 1:47.40 |
| 2 | Brogan Crowley | GBR | 2 | 4.79 | 4.74 | 53.91 | 53.67 | 1:47.58 |
| 2 | Hallie Clarke | USA | 1 | 4.79 | 4.80 | 53.45 | 54.13 | 1:47.58 |
| 4 | Anna Fernstädt | CZE | 9 | 5.00 | 4.99 | 53.87 | 53.80 | 1:47.67 |
| 5 | Kimberley Bos | NED | 7 | 4.87 | 4.87 | 53.83 | 53.96 | 1:47.79 |
| 6 | Tina Hermann | GER | 10 | 5.00 | 5.01 | 54.30 | 53.62 | 1:47.92 |
| 7 | Mirela Rahneva | CAN | 11 | 4.93 | 4.96 | 54.15 | 53.84 | 1:47.99 |
| 8 | Nicole Silveira | BRA | 4 | 4.93 | 4.92 | 53.99 | 54.01 | 1:48.00 |
| 8 | Jane Channell | CAN | 6 | 4.76 | 4.77 | 53.78 | 54.22 | 1:48.00 |
| 10 | Susanne Kreher | GER | 12 | 4.87 | 4.86 | 54.09 | 54.05 | 1:48.14 |
| 11 | Kelly Curtis | USA | 5 | 4.89 | 4.95 | 54.39 | 54.29 | 1:48.68 |
| 12 | Laura Deas | GBR | 3 | 4.84 | 4.94 | 54.39 | 54.52 | 1:48.91 |
| 13 | Jaclyn Narracott | AUS | 8 | 4.98 | 4.99 | 54.57 | 54.58 | 1:49.15 |
| 14 | Agathe Bessard | FRA | 14 | 4.98 | 4.98 | 54.57 | 54.65 | 1:49.22 |
| 15 | Kendall Wesenberg | USA | 15 | 5.06 | 5.09 | 54.89 | 54.71 | 1:49.60 |
| 16 | Julia Erlacher | AUT | 16 | 4.88 | 4.89 | 55.23 | 54.80 | 1:50.03 |
