European Championship bronze for Rudman

Friday 22nd January 2009

Britain’s Shelley Rudman continued her impressive form by winning bronze at the Skeleton European Championships at the Igls track in Austria today (Friday).

Rudman, the 2009 European champion, finished fourth in today’s eighth and final round of the 2009/10 World Cup, which also doubled as the 2010 European Championships. As the third highest placed European slider, she took European Championship bronze.

She also finishes her 2009/10 World Cup campaign in second place in the overall rankings, having won medals in four of the eight World Cup races. Her second place overall was a repeat of her overall World Cup finish last season.

Rudman was in bronze medal position in round eight of the World Cup after the first of two runs behind Germany’s Anja Huber and Melissa Hollingsworth of Canada. Huber’s time of 54.91 gave her a 0.23-second margin over Rudman at the halfway mark.

Britain’s Amy Williams was 11th, 0.64 seconds behind Huber’s time, with Donna Creighton 15th, 0.80 seconds off the lead.

Germany’s Kerstin Szymkowiak produced a terrific second run to climb from fifth to second, pushing Rudman down to fourth in today’s World Cup, with Hollingsworth dropping down to third.

Huber produced the fastest runs in each of the rounds to win both the World Cup race and the European Championship crown, while Hollingsworth won the overall 2009/10 World Cup.

Williams climbed a place to 10th in today’s World Cup race for sixth in the European Championship and fifth in the World Cup for the season – equalling her overall World Cup finish in 2008/9.

Creighton finished 11th in today’s World Cup race and seventh in the European Championships. She was 16th in the overall World Cup.

The men go in the final round of the 2009/10 Skeleton World Cup tomorrow (Saturday), which is also at Igls and also doubles as the European Championships.

Overnight sees the final round of the Intercontinental Cup for both men and women in Park City, the USA.

The British Olympic Association is due to announce its selection of skeleton athletes to represent Team GB at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on Friday 29th January.

Results from round 8 of 2009/10 Skeleton World Cup
Gold: Anja Huber (GER) – 1:49.57
Silver: Kerstin Szymkowiak (GER) – 1:49.93
Bronze: Mellisa Hollingsworth (CAN) – 1:49.96
4th: Shelley Rudman (GBR) – 1:50.25
10th: Amy Williams (GBR) – 1:50.80
11th: Donna Creighton (GBR) – 1:51.10

European Championships results
Gold: Anja Huber (GER) – 1:49.57
Silver: Kerstin Szymkowiak (GER) – 1:49.93
Bronze: Shelley Rudman (GBR) – 1:50.25
6th: Amy Williams (GBR) – 1:50.80
7th: Donna Creighton (GBR) – 1:51.10

Final 2009/10 World Cup standings
1. Mellisa Hollingsworth (CAN) - 1646
2. Shelley Rudman (GBR) - 1604
3. Kerstin Szymkowiak (GER) – 1574
5. Amy Williams (GBR) – 1312
16: Donna Creighton (GBR) – 730