From Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA
(February 13, 2026) – Janine Flock is one of the most decorated women in all of IBSF World Cup skeleton. She’s won 45 medals including 15 golds, three Crystal Globes and and was second two more times overall.
But what the Austrian hasn’t done is win in a four-heat event. But at halftime in Cortina d’Ampezzo, she’s on her way to an Olympic medal.
Flock was the first off the top in the first heat and, as we’d seen in nearly every race these Olympics, set a track record with a 57.22 to set the early pace.
Throughout the heat women filed in behind Flock, with 2023 world champion Susanne Kreher, Tabitha Stoecker, test event winner Jacqueline Pfeifer, and Olympic gold medalist Hannah Neise all with a quarter of a second.
In the second heat, Great Britain’s Freya Tarbit put down a very quick run, tied for fourth quickest, to take the lead from eighth and move up the order a pair of spots before being picked off by Neise.
Neise’s time in the leader’s box was short lived, however. Pfeifer threw down not just the quickest run of the heat, but ever on the new Olympic track in Cortina d’Ampezzo as she broke Flock’s hours old track record to take the lead, then hold the spot as Stoecker was unable to match her pace.
But Pfeifer’s lead wouldn’t hold. Kreher, whose lone victory came in the St. Moritz World Championships, outstarted Pfeifer by a tenth and held an ever-narrowing advantage through her run until crossing the line as the leader, just .09 ahead of Pfeifer.
That left Flock alone atop the Pista Olimpica Eugenio Monti. As the final slider off, Flock was outstarted by Kreher by .12, but as she did in the first heat, found speed at the bottom of the track with nearly flawless lines through the most tricky parts of the track. Her second run was .04 slower than her first, and .08 slower than Pfeifer’s, but enough to hold onto a slim .04 lead over Kreher, with Pfeifer .13 back in third.
In her fourth Olympics, Flock’s motivation is both to herself and the outstanding crowd that has shown up at the Olympic track.
“This experience is really amazing,” she told the media after the first two runs. “This is my fourth Olympic Games and I’ve never had this crowd at the Olympics so it really gives a feeling and it feels really, really nice. Tomorrow (Saturday) I want do my best, put my best on the day and enjoy the race, every single run and every single corner.”
Neise, Stoecker, and Tarbit round out the top six.
Amelia Coltman is ninth overnight, just behind World Cup champion Kim Meylemans and just ahead of USA’s Kelly Curtis.
Jane Channell leads the way for Canada in 15th, with USA’s Mystique Ro 17th and Canada’s Hallie Clarke 20th.
Standings After Two Heats:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | IBSF Rank | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Janine Flock | AUT | 1 | 5 | 5.02 | 5.04 | 57.22 | 57.26 | 1:54.48 |
| 2 | Susanne Kreher | GER | 8 | 6 | 4.92 | 4.92 | 57.24 | 57.28 | 1:54.52 |
| 3 | Jacqueline Pfeifer | GER | 6 | 2 | 5.00 | 5.02 | 57.43 | 57.18 | 1:54.61 |
| 4 | Hannah Neise | GER | 10 | 7 | 5.04 | 5.04 | 57.45 | 57.40 | 1:54.85 |
| 5 | Tabitha Stoecker | GBR | 3 | 3 | 4.82 | 4.83 | 57.40 | 57.61 | 1:55.01 |
| 6 | Freya Tarbit | GBR | 11 | 11 | 5.02 | 4.95 | 57.76 | 57.40 | 1:55.16 |
| 7 | Dan Zhao | CHN | 13 | 14 | 4.89 | 4.94 | 57.70 | 57.47 | 1:55.17 |
| 8 | Kim Meylemans | BEL | 4 | 1 | 4.93 | 4.92 | 57.70 | 57.62 | 1:55.32 |
| 9 | Amelia Coltman | GBR | 9 | 10 | 5.00 | 4.99 | 57.86 | 57.73 | 1:55.59 |
| 10 | Kelly Curtis | USA | 15 | 16 | 4.94 | 4.96 | 57.81 | 57.88 | 1:55.69 |
| 11 | Anna Fernstädt | CZE | 5 | 4 | 5.07 | 5.07 | 57.90 | 57.86 | 1:55.76 |
| 12 | Nicole Silveira | BRA | 7 | 9 | 5.01 | 5.03 | 57.93 | 57.85 | 1:55.78 |
| 13 | Kimberley Bos | NED | 2 | 8 | 4.94 | 4.93 | 57.88 | 57.98 | 1:55.86 |
| 14 | Alessandra Fumagalli | ITA | 14 | 15 | 4.88 | 4.89 | 58.02 | 57.93 | 1:55.95 |
| 15 | Jane Channell | CAN | 20 | 25 | 4.89 | 4.91 | 58.08 | 58.14 | 1:56.22 |
| 16 | Valentina Margaglio | ITA | 19 | 22 | 4.82 | 4.86 | 58.20 | 58.07 | 1:56.27 |
| 17 | Mystique Ro | USA | 16 | 17 | 4.88 | 4.92 | 58.25 | 58.11 | 1:56.36 |
| 18 | Marta Andzane | LAT | 21 | 26 | 5.07 | 5.07 | 58.37 | 58.15 | 1:56.52 |
| 19 | Nanna Johansen | DEN | 25 | 36 | 5.21 | 5.25 | 58.27 | 58.37 | 1:56.64 |
| 20 | Hallie Clarke | CAN | 12 | 13 | 4.93 | 5.02 | 58.51 | 58.22 | 1:56.73 |
| 21 | Yuxin Liang | CHN | 17 | 18 | 4.92 | 4.95 | 58.38 | 58.77 | 1:57.15 |
| 22 | Sujung Hong | KOR | 18 | 21 | 4.97 | 4.97 | 58.88 | 58.45 | 1:57.33 |
| 23 | Darta Zunte | EST | 23 | 32 | 4.96 | 4.98 | 58.88 | 58.71 | 1:57.59 |
| 24 | Kellie Delka | PUR | 24 | 33 | 5.17 | 5.20 | 59.40 | 59.17 | 1:58.57 |
| 25 | Nicole Burger | RSA | 22 | 31 | 4.95 | 5.02 | 59.63 | 59.43 | 1:59.06 |