Emma Lincoln-Smith has finished in fifth place in the World Skeleton Championships, Australia's best result at world title level. Lincoln-Smith was lying in third place overall after her first two trips down the Lake Placid track, but deteriorating conditions towards the end of the second day cost her in the final two runs.
Emma Lincoln-Smith has finished in fifth place in the World Skeleton Championships, Australia's best result in a sliding sport at world title level and a personal best at any level of competition.
Lincoln-Smith was lying in third place overall after her first two trips down the Lake Placid track, but deteriorating conditions towards the end of the second day cost her in the final two runs.
The 23-year-old AIS slider recorded a total time of three minutes 49.27 seconds for her four runs, 1.30 seconds behind championship winner Marion Trott of Germany on 3:48.56.
Great Britain's Amy Williams took the silver medal, 0.59 seconds behind the winner, while Trott's compatriot Kerstin Szymkowiak collected the bronze with 3:48.61.
With another German, Anja Huber, taking fourth place, Lincoln-Smith finished ahead of all of the Canadian and US sliders in the field.
Most significantly, she also finished in front of the reigning World Cup champion Katie Uhlaender of the US, the 2006 and 2007 World Champion Melissa Hollingsworth of Canada and the Torino 2006 Olympic champion Maya Pedersen of Switzerland.
Lincoln-Smith's AIS team-mate Michelle Steele placed 18th in a time of 3:52.09.
Australia's previous best result at world championship level was Steele's sixth place in St Moritz in 2007.
AIS Head Skeleton Coach Terry Holland was delighted with Lincoln-Smith's performance.
"It was really cold on the first day and the track was very hard and very fast, and for Emma to place fourth and then third was very good."
"But today it was plus five or six degrees and the ice got slower and slower and it was also raining for the back half of the field, so Emma got the worst of that and they are conditions that don't really suit her."
"But I was really impressed with the way she held it all together mentally and emotionally, and didn't let the pressure get to her."
"The rest of this season hasn't reflected Emma's real ability and skill level, but she showed here that she really is up with the top sliders."
Lincoln-Smith rated eighth fastest and 13th fastest for her third and fourth runs, but she was not alone in suffering from the conditions.
Race winner Marion Trott turned in a 12th placing for her final run, and her team-mate Anja Huber, second at the halfway point of the competition, slipped back to fourth place overall after managing only the 15th fastest final run time.
Athlete Audio
To listen to audio of Emma Lincoln-Smith following the event, please click here.