From Lillehammer, NOR
(December 2, 2023) – Switzerland’s Inola Blatty won her first career gold medal in just her third start on the IBSF tour with a women’s Europe Cup monobob win in Lillehammer.
The Swiss pilot was only bested in the first heat by junior world champion Maureen Zimmer, with the rest of the field off the pace from third on back. On her second run, Blatty put down what would be the fastest run of the heat to take the lead with only Zimmer to go.
Zimmer’s second push, like her first, was the quickest of the heat. However trouble late in the run led to her having the fifth quickest run of the heat and was enough to give Blatty the win.
Blatty’s gold was also her first medal of her IBSF international career. She had finished fifth in her previous two races.
Zimmer’s second run, while not ideal, was enough to give her a silver ahead of Belgium’s Kelly van Petegem for van Petegem’s second monobob medal of her career. Both medals have come in Lillehammer.
Debora Annen gave Switzerland a strong day in Lillehammer with a career-best finish of fourth, only .06 out of the medals and just .02 ahead of Czechia’s Patricia Tajcnarova in fifth.
Germany’s Charlotte Candrix rounded out the top six.
Great Britain’s Adele Nicoll continued a strong start to her season with a seventh place finish, while Australia’s Sarah Blizzard finished in ninth.
Italian motorsports star Simona de Silvestro finished the race in 12th.
After three races, defending Europe Cup champion Maureen Zimmer leads Inola Blatty by 36 points in the women’s monobob discipline. Czechia’s Patricia Tajcnarova is third, with Great Britain’s Adele Nicoll and Belgium’s Kelley van Petegem rounding out the top five.
The IBSF Europe Cup will continue with two-woman bobsled before moving on to Sigulda for its next stop before the holiday break.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
| 1 | Inola Blatty | SUI | 6 | 5.82 | 5.84 | 55.93 | 56.32 | 1:52.25 |
| 2 | Maureen Zimmer | GER | 8 | 5.74 | 5.80 | 55.86 | 56.63 | 1:52.49 |
| 3 | Kelly Van Petegem | BEL | 10 | 5.94 | 5.99 | 56.31 | 56.36 | 1:52.67 |
| 4 | Debora Annen | SUI | 7 | 5.94 | 5.99 | 56.24 | 56.47 | 1:52.71 |
| 5 | Patricia Tajcnarova | CZE | 3 | 5.98 | 5.97 | 56.23 | 56.50 | 1:52.73 |
| 6 | Charlotte Candrix | GER | 11 | 5.97 | 6.00 | 56.32 | 56.68 | 1:53.00 |
| 7 | Adele Nicoll | GBR | 4 | 5.89 | 5.91 | 56.28 | 56.73 | 1:53.01 |
| 8 | Loren Djolo | NED | 5 | 5.94 | 5.96 | 56.43 | 56.72 | 1:53.15 |
| 9 | Sarah Blizzard | AUS | 12 | 6.06 | 6.03 | 56.54 | 56.77 | 1:53.31 |
| 10 | Georgeta Popescu | ROU | 13 | 6.08 | 6.12 | 56.78 | 56.96 | 1:53.74 |
| 11 | Diana Filipszki | GER | 9 | 6.06 | 6.12 | 56.66 | 57.14 | 1:53.80 |
| 12 | Simona de Silvestro | ITA | 14 | 6.11 | 6.24 | 56.93 | 56.97 | 1:53.90 |
| 13 | Robin Post | NED | 1 | 6.41 | 6.47 | 57.37 | 57.57 | 1:54.94 |
| 14 | Julia Slupecka | POL | 2 | 6.29 | 6.34 | 57.55 | 57.53 | 1:55.08 |
