Emma Lincoln-Smith has moved past AIS/OWI team-mate Michelle Steele as Australia’s leading skeleton athlete, after producing two top ten results in a double-header World Cup in Cesana, Italy.

Lincoln-Smith finished in seventh place in the opening event on the Torino 2006 track, completing the two runs in a total time of two minutes and one tenth of a second, 1.72 seconds behind race winner Kerstin Juergens of Germany.

AIS/OWI team-mate Michelle Steele started strongly in the event, sliding to the ninth fastest time in the opening run. But she slipped down the rankings on her second run, posting a 12th placing for the journey and an overall result of 11th, 2.57 seconds behind the winner.

The third member of the team, Melissa Hoar, was in 13th place, 2.88 seconds adrift of the gold medal time.

In the second event of the weekend, Lincoln-Smith was again the best of the Australians, finishing in ninth place with a total time of two minutes and .34 seconds, 1.83 seconds behind race winner Katie Uhlaender of the USA.

Hoar posted an 11th placing in her opening run, then fell back with the 15th fastest time on the second run for an overall time of 2:00.96 and 13th place.

Steele started badly with 1:01:02 run for 18th place in her opening trip down the Italian track, but bounced back for ninth place in her second run to finish a spot behind Hoar in 2:01.47.

Lincoln-Smith is now sitting in eighth place on the World Cup standings with 752 points, four places and 64 points clear of Steele, while Hoar is in 17th place on 576 points.

Canadian slider Michelle Kelly leads the title chase on 1046 points, 26 ahead of defending World Cup champion Uhlaender.