Tina Hermann takes silver with bronze for Olympic Champion Lizzy Yarnold

Königssee (RWH): A gold medal in the women’s skeleton for Jacqueline Lölling: At the 2017 BMW IBSF World Championships in Königssee (GER), the athlete from host team Germany won her first ever World Championship title. At just 22 years old, Jacqueline Lölling is the youngest female World Champion in skeleton’s history.

By the end of the final run in Königssee, the 2012 Youth Olympic Champion had secured a 0.25-second lead ahead of her team mate and defending Champion Tina Hermann (GER), who achieved her second World Championship medal in a row with silver. Olympic Champion Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain (0.73 seconds back) won bronze in Königssee, the third medal for the 2015 World Champion.

Kim Meylemans of Belgium finished in fifth to achieve the best result of her career. The 20-year-old, who finished 16th at the 2016 World Championships, had already managed to secure sixth place at the rehearsals for the World Championships during the BMW IBSF World Cup event in Königssee.

Lelde Priedulena of Latvia, the 2016 Junior World Champion and twelfth place at last winter’s World Championships, celebrated her best result at the Championships to date in seventh place.

Mirela Rahneva of Canada, currently fourth in the overall World Cup standings, finished eighth at her first ever World Championships. ©RWH2017

Quotes

Jacqueline Lölling (GER, 2017 World Champion, 2017 European Champion, 2012 Youth Olympic Champion, 2015 Junior World Champion and runner-up at the 2015 World Championships)
“Amazing! I’m lost for words right now. It feels great. I didn’t expect to win, though I had perhaps hoped a little bit. But after the last race here, my goal was definitely to get a medal!”

Tina Hermann (GER, runner-up in the 2017 World Championships, 2016 World Champion, winner of the overall World Cup in 2016)
“I haven’t lost the title, it’s more like gaining a silver medal. I am delighted to have done so well this season. Jacqueline is just in incredible form. It was already pretty clear that it would be really, really tough to beat her here.”

Lizzy Yarnold (GBR, World Championships bronze 2017, Olympic Champion 2014, World Champion 2015, European Champion 2015, winner of 2014 Overall World Cup)
“It’s very emotional. I really feel like this is the beginning and this is where the hard work starts. I feel as though I’ve had a season to get back into competition and now I know how to race again. Racing against Germans on their home track is a really tough challenge but I feel like I was consistent here. It’s all about being consistent and calm under pressure and dealing with what’s in front of you. I can’t thank everyone in my team enough for being so patient with me and pushing me on when I needed it and telling me to cool of when I needed that, too.”