01/09/26 12:40:00
Printable Page
01/09 12:38 CST Kelly Curtis finishes second in World Cup skeleton race,
enhancing her hopes of US Olympic spot
Kelly Curtis finishes second in World Cup skeleton race, enhancing her hopes of
US Olympic spot
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) --- Kelly Curtis took a big step toward a U.S.
Olympic team spot on Friday, finishing second in a World Cup women's skeleton
race for her best-ever finish on the circuit.
Kim Meylemans of Belgium won the race in 2 minutes, 21.01 seconds. Curtis was
second in 2:22.12 for her second career World Cup medal --- she had a bronze on
her home track at Lake Placid, New York, in December 2022 --- and Nicole Rocha
Silveira of Brazil was third in 2:22.18.
Curtis made a huge move in the second heat; she was ninth in the field after
the first heat of the day, then had the second-best time in the second run.
The silver medal pushed Curtis --- who was on the Olympic team in 2022 --- past
world championship silver medalist Mystique Ro for the top spot among Americans
in the World Cup standings this season. USA Bobsled and Skeleton should
finalize its team for next month's Milan Cortina Olympics next weekend, with
the formal announcement of its roster on Jan. 19.
Ro was 11th on Friday in the women's singles race, then teamed with Austin
Florian to tie for fifth in a mixed race later in the day. Ro and Florian
combined to win the world mixed title last season.
China's Dan Zhao and Zheng Yin won the mixed race in 2:26.16, edging Germany's
Susanne Kreher and Axel Jungk (2:26.25). Italy's Alessandra Fumagalli and
Amedeo Bagnis were third in 2:26.45.
In the men's race Friday, World Cup leader and defending world champion Matt
Weston of Britain prevailed in 2:16.58. Bagnis was second in 2:17.49 and Zheng
was third in 2:17.56.
Up next
Bobsled: Women's monobob, two-man World Cup races Saturday at St. Moritz.
Skeleton: Men's, women's and mixed World Cup races on Jan. 16 at Altenberg,
Germany.
Luge: Men's singles, women's singles World Cup races on Saturday at Winterberg,
Germany.
___
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
|
