Australia's first World Cup podium of the season, a first-ever short track final and strong performances on the Olympic Snowboard and Ski Cross track in China headlines this weekend in winter sport. Read the full wrap below.
“Bobsled” Bree Walker Wins World Cup Bronze
Bree Walker has claimed the first Australian World Cup podium of the Olympic season, winning bronze in the Monobob in Innsbruck, Austria, behind American Elana Meyers Taylor and German Laura Nolte.
Set up by a scorching first run of 55.67 which was the second fastest time of the whole competition, Walker’s second run of 56.12 was enough to ensure she finished on the podium, just 0.01 ahead of fourth place.
After finishing sixth in last weekend’s opening race, Walker was pleased to see some tweaks pay immediate dividends for her first podium of the season.
Ashleigh Werner finished in 21st place in the Monobob, while the duo were both in action piloting sleds in the 2-woman event, with Werner and Kiara Reddingius finishing in 19th ahead of Walker and Stefanie Preiksa in 23rd.
Short Track Top 5 for Brendan Corey
Brendan Corey has finished fifth in the 1000m Short Track World Cup in Dordrecht, Netherlands, with the 24-year-old making the A-final to continue his stellar season.
Entering the event with three-straight World Cup top 20 finishes, the 5th place is Corey’s best result on the World Cup circuit, and has moved him into 11th on the World Cup season rankings in the 1000m.
Corey made it through heats and quarter-finals with automatic progression finishing in the top two, before earning his spot in the final as the fastest 3rd place finisher in the semi-finals. In a star studded final, Hungary took the top two spots, with multiple World championship medallist and 2018 Olympic relay champion Shaoang Liu winning gold ahead of reigning Olympic silver medallist John-Henry Krueger, with Italy’s Pietro Sighel claiming bronze.
Two Top 6 finishes in Snowboard Cross Test Event
Adam Lambert and Belle Brockhoff headlined the Aussie contingent at the opening SBX World Cup event at the 2022 Olympic venue in Secret Garden, China.
Lambert finished fifth and Brockhoff sixth, smoothly navigating their way through qualification and quarter finals to make the semis and ensure a top 8 finish.
Lambert said the Olympic track suits his style, with his wins in the round of 32 and 16 to advance through to the semi-final and top-5 overall finish a good sign for February.
“This course is really my style, I love gliding and flat basing, and I am short, which helps when there are head winds,” said the 24-year-old Olympian from Jindabyne.
Also in action for Australia was 2018 Olympic silver medallist Jarryd Hughes in 12th place, Adam Dickson 16th, Cam Bolton 31st, and in her World Cup debut 17-year-old Mia Clift finished 22nd.
Ski Cross athletes also kicked off their World Cup campaign in China. Dual Olympian Sami Kennedy-Sim had a great qualification run to go through in seventh place, however a disappointing round of 16 finish saw her miss out on the semi-finals and finish in 15th.
On the men’s side, Doug Crawford and Robbie Morrison finished 42nd and 43rd respectively, missing out on the finals after a tough qualification.
Narracott and Timmings Hit Skeleton Track
Jackie Narracott and Nick Timmings flew the Australian flag at the Skeleton World Cup event in Innsbruck, Austria.
Narracott finished 19th after her two runs, with Timmings in 29th in the men’s event.
After opening the season last weekend in 13th place, Narracott was unable to replicate that speed, sitting in 16th after her first run before dropping back to 19th after her second.
“Some days no matter how much you want it or know you can do it, it doesn't happen,” Narracott said after the event. “It hurts but I'll take the lessons and be better for it.”
The due are now onto Altenberg in Germany for the third World Cup event this weekend.
Hoffman in American Alpine Action
Twenty-one-year-old alpine skier Madi Hoffman competed in her second ever World Cup, at the Slalom event in Killington USA.
Hoffman missed out on qualifying for the finals, with only the top 30 progressing, with the event won by dual Olympic gold medallist Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA.
