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Skeleton team on the way to best season ever
// USOC Media Services // January 30, 2007
U.S. athletes enjoyed a successful month on snow and ice with many victories, podium finishes and best-ever finishes. Accumulating 25 medals in 25 World Cup events leading up to the World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton teams have already had their best season ever, according to the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
The women’s skeleton team has won eight of those medals, including four-straight gold medals won by World Cup leader Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.). Noelle Pikus-Pace (Orem, Utah) added to the count with a bronze and silver medal performance in Calgary, Alberta and Lake Placid, N.Y., respectively. Courtney Yamada (Boise, Idaho) had her best career finish in Nagano, Japan, claiming the bronze medal. Uhlaender currently leads the overall World Cup standings, while Pikus-Pace is second overall.
Three of the six medals won by the men’s skeleton team were in Lake Placid, N.Y., where Zach Lund (Salt Lake City, Utah), Caleb Smith (Lake Placid, N.Y.) and Eric Bernotas (Avondale, Pa.) swept the podium, taking the gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively. Lund contributed to the medal count with a gold medal performance in Park City, Utah, and a silver medal in Nagano, Japan. Bernotas not only won the gold medal in Nagano, but also broke the track record on his first run in the competition to add to his growing list of achievements. Zach Lund is the World Cup leader, while Bernotas is ranked second overall.
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