SKELETON: Recent Skeleton World Cup bronze medallist Michelle Steele was the best placed Australian slider over the weekend. The 27-year-old finished fifth at the FIBT World Cup in Park City, in a time of 1:40.75, just 1.21 seconds behind the race leader Noelle Pikus-Pace of the USA. 

“I was happy with my result today,” Steele said after the race. “It was a very close race on this track. We are progressing and getting some strong results early in the season that we will continue to build off. I made some mistakes on the second run that I can learn from going forward.”

West Australian Lucy Chaffer produced another top ten performance, finishing in eighth place in a time of 1:40.96, 1.42 behind the race leader.

“It was another very solid result and hard work progression through the week,” coach Eric Bernotas said. 

“The goal was set for consistent and solid finishes that we would be continually be learning from and building on. There are always little things that can be fixed on the track nonetheless the big picture and the execution displayed by the team is strong.”

The Australian women are well placed to qualify for the 2014 Olympic Games with Steele ranked in third place on 384 points followed closely by Chaffer in seventh place on 312 points. Elizabeth Yarnold of Great Britain is ranked first on 435 points. 

Australia’s male skeleton competitor, John Farrow, completed his first and only run in a time of 49.87 seconds, missing out on a place in the top 20. The eventual winner, Alexander Tretiakov of Russia finished his first run in a time of 48.78 seconds. 

Also in Park City were the women’s bobsleigh team, competing in their second World Cup of the season. Two-time Olympians Astrid Radjenovic and Jana Pittman finished racing on the first day of competition in 14th place in a field of 20. The women recorded a total time of 1:39.35, 1.68 behind the race leader Elana Meyers and Aja Evans of the USA. 

The following day, Radjenovic partnered with Ebony Gorincu to finish in 17th place in a total time 1:40.92, 2.31 behind the again race leaders Meyers and Evans of the USA.

Radjenovic is now ranked 21st on the FIBT ranking list with a total of 296 points and well placed to qualify for the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Elana Meyers of the USA is ranked first with 660 points. 

The men’s bobsleigh team are also well placed to qualify for the Games. Sochi hopeful and bobsleigh pilot Heath Spence is ranked 35th in the 2-man bobsleigh and 26th in the 4-man bobsleigh. The Australians must maintain a top 50 ranking. 

In Canada, at the World Cup in Whistler, the Australian luge squad continued to deliver consistent performances. Townsville resident, Alex Ferlazzo finished the FIL Nations Cup in 30th position, in a time of 50.460, +2.018 seconds behind the race leader Johannes Ludwig of Germany. Immediately following was Dan Newton in a time of 50.612. 

In the women’s event, Ashley Cooney finished 33rd in a race won by Kimberley McRae of Canada.  

The Skeleton and Bobsleigh World Cup squad travel to Lake Placid, USA for the third World Cup of the season which commences tomorrow. The luge squad travel to Park City for their World Cup event which starts on Friday 13 December.