Bronze for Shelley at Konigssee World Cup

Friday 8th January 2010

Shelley Rudman, Britain’s Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games silver medallist, continued her impressive form by winning bronze in the sixth round of the 2009/10 Skeleton World Cup at Konigssee in Germany today (Friday).

It took the Sheffield-based athlete’s medal haul for the season to date to three following her silver at Lake Placid in the USA in November and gold at Cessana in Italy last month.

Rudman was third after the first of two runs in today's sixth round of the World Cup and made sure of a medal with a strong second run. Her performance in Konigssee was enough to keep her in second place in the overall world rankings.

Gold in Konigssee went to Canada’s Mellisa Hollingsworth, who strengthened her position at the top of the world rankings with first place in a new track record. Germany’s Kerstin Szymkowiak took silver.

Britain’s Amy Williams finished 12th, despite producing the two quickest starts of the day. Thirteenth after the first run, her second run was the seventh fastest, but she had left herself with too much to do to secure a top-10 finish. She remains fifth in the overall world rankings.

In the men’s race, also in Konigssee this afternoon, Britain’s Kristan Bromley missed out on a medal by just four-hundredths of a second.

Double Olympian Bromley was fourth after the first of two runs and ended the day fourth just 0.04 seconds behind bronze medallist Frank Rommel of Germany. Gold went to Latvia’s Martins Dukurs – his third victory of the season. He stretches his lead at the top of the overall world rankings, with another German, Sandro Stielicke, finishing second today. Britain’s Andy Wood came 15th.

Meanwhile, British sliders gained further valuable world rankings points and a brace of medals competing in the Intercontinental Cup in Lake Placid, the USA.

Ant Sawyer took silver in the men’s race, climbing from fifth after the first of two runs. Team-mate Adam Pengilly finished just outside the medals in fourth, with Chris Type coming joint sixth.

Donna Creighton took bronze in the women’s race, with Sarah Sydney 18th.

The World Cup action now moves on to St Moritz, Switzerland on Friday 15th January, with the Intercontinental Cup heading to Calgary in Canada for races on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th January.

World Cup results Konigssee - women
Gold: Mellisa Hollingsworth (CAN) – 1:38.26
Silver: Kerstin Szymkowiak (GER) – 1:38.50
Bronze: Shelley Rudman (GBR) – 1:38.73
12th: Amy Williams (GBR) – 1:39.41

World Cup results Konigssee - men
Gold: Martins Dukurs (LAT) – 1:35.29
Silver: Sandro Stielicke (GER) – 1:35.63
Bronze: Frank Rommel (GER) – 1:35.84
4th: Kristan Bromley (GBR) – 1:35.88
15th: Andy Wood (GBR) – 1:37.21

Intercontinental Cup results Lake Placid - women
Gold: Sarah Reid (CAN) – 1:52.27
Silver: Michelle Steele (AUS) – 1:52.45
Bronze: Donna Creighton (GBR) – 1:52.46
18th: Sarah Sydney (GBR) – 1:55.87

Intercontinental Cup results Lake Placid - men
Gold: John Daly (USA) – 1:49.21
Silver: Ant Sawyer (GBR) – 1:49.59
Bronze: Mathew Antoine (USA) – 1:49.79
4th: Adam Pengilly (GBR) – 1.49.88
6th=: Chris Type (GBR) – 1:49.95

FIBT World Rankings - women
1: Mellisa Hollingsworth (CAN) – 1236
2: Shelley Rudman (GBR) – 1187
3: Kerstin Szymkowiak (GER) – 1164
5: Amy Williams (GBR) – 976
14: Donna Creighton (GBR) - 719
36: Sarah Sydney (GBR) – 360
56: Maggie Davies (GBR) – 240

FIBT World Rankings - men
1: Martins Dukurs (LAT) – 1269
2: Frank Rommel (GER) – 1211
3: Sandro Stielicke (GER) – 1102
9: Kristan Bromley (GBR) - 936
15: Chris Type (GBR) - 650
22: Adam Pengilly (GBR) - 517
23: Ant Sawyer (GBR) - 500
25: Andy Wood (GBR) - 472
38: Dave Swift (GBR) – 352

Key dates for the remainder of the 2009/10 skeleton season

14.01.10: Men’s & women’s Intercontinental Cup 6 – Calgary, Canada
15.01.10: Men’s & women’s World Cup 7 - St Moritz, Switzerland
15.01.10: Men’s & women’s Intercontinental Cup 7 – Calgary, Canada
22.01.10: Women’s World Cup 8 (including Euro Champs) – Igls, Austria
22.01.10: Men’s & women’s Intercontinental Cup 8 – Park City, USA
23.01.10: Men’s World Cup 8 (including Euro Champs) – Igls, Austria
29.01.10: British Olympic Association to announce selection of Team GB skeleton athletes for Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

12.02.10-28.02.10: Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, Canada
18.02.10: Men’s & women’s Olympic heats 1 & 2 – Whistler, Canada
19.02.10: Men’s & women’s Olympic heats 3 & 4 – Whistler, Canada