Hannah Neise in second place ahead of World Champion Tina Hermann
Yanqing (RWH) After two race runs at the Yanqing Sliding Centre, it's Olympic half-time in women's skeleton - and Jaclyn Narracott is in the lead for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. A surprise only at first glance: The Australian was the first athlete from her country to win a World Cup race at the end of the 2021/2022 season in St. Moritz (SUI).
In the Olympic race over four runs, the 31-year-old is 0.21 seconds ahead of second place before the final day. Hannah Neise from Germany, the Junior World Champion of 2021, is in second place - after a race to catch up from eighth place in the first run and the best time in the second run. Close behind: her team mate and four-time World Champion Tina Hermann (GER, 0.23 seconds back) in intermediate third place.
Also still within reach of the medals after the first Olympic day of the skeleton athletes is local hero Zhao Dan (CHN) with fourth place. The 19-year-old, flag bearer of the Olympic hosts from China at the opening ceremony, had been leading for a long time in the first run.
The 2018 Olympic silver medallist Jacqueline Lölling (GER), European Champion and overall World Cup winner Kimberley Bos (NED) and Anna Fernstädt (CZE) will start the second day in fifth to seventh place.
Mirela Rahneva of Canada, the leader from the first heat and track record holder (1.02:03 minutes), dropped to ninth in the second Olympic heat. ©RWH2022
Quotes:
Jaclyn Narracott (AUS, 2022 World Cup winner in St Moritz).
"That's exactly how I want to slide, that was so much fun!"
Hannah Neise (GER, 2021 World Junior Champion, 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games silver medallist).
"My second run was so much better than the first, even though I almost crashed in turn 13. The long time in the Leaders Box was completely new for me."
Tina Hermann (GER, World Champion 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2021).
"My starts were way too restrained, I want more tomorrow. And there I made far too many mistakes in the track."
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Photos: IBSF / Viesturs Lacis
