European Champion Nikitina second, defending champion Hermann third after catch-up run
Altenberg (RWH) Germany's Jacqueline Lölling is the half-time leader in women's skeleton at the 2021 BMW IBSF World Championships. In Altenberg (GER), the 2018 Olympic silver medallist has a 0.11-second lead over European Champion Elena Nikitina (BFR, Bobsleigh Federation of Russia) after the first two of the four race runs.
Defending World Champion Tina Hermann (GER) started an impressive catch-up after a botched first run. With the best time in the second run she moved up from eleventh to third place at the World Cup half-time and is 0.24 seconds behind her leading team mate Lölling.
In fourth place follows one of the most experienced starters in the field. Katie Uhlaender from the USA, the 2012 World Champion, is 36 years old and has been competing internationally in skeleton for half her life. In 2008, she won World Championships silver in Altenberg and is now 0.71 seconds behind Lölling before the third run.
Just behind her, one of the youngest starters, 20-year-old Junior European Champion Alina Tararychenkova (BFR, 0.75 seconds behind), is fifth before the final day.
Sophia Griebel (GER, 0.98 seconds back) rounds off the top six after the first World Cup day in women's skeleton.
Overall World Cup winner Janine Flock of Austria found herself in 15th place after a botched first race run at World Cup half-time. The bronze medallist from 2020 in Altenberg is two seconds behind the medal ranks.
Junior World Champion Hannah Neise (GER), surprisingly third after the first race run, dropped back to ninth place in the second run.
The World Cup final in women's skeleton with races number three and four is on Friday, 12 February, at 9 and 10.30 am. ©RWH2021
>> Result after race two of four
For more detailed information including athlete profiles and results please visit ibsf.org. Photos for editorial use can be found at Flickr. ©RWH2021
Photos: IBSF / Viesturs Lacis
Photos: IBSF / Viesturs Lacis
