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Uhlaender Crowned World Cup Champion After Finale
By Amanda Bird // U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation // February 23, 2007
KÖNIGSSEE, Germany—Dominating the tour by winning five gold medals, Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.) was named women’s skeleton World Cup Champion today after placing sixth at the final World Cup event of the season in Königssee, Germany. World Champion Noelle Pikus-Pace (Orem, Utah) claimed her fifth medal of the season today, a bronze, sealing a second place overall standing.
“Katie had a breakthrough season and Noelle had a comeback season,” U.S. assistant skeleton coach Greg Sand said. “Katie has always been on the bubble, and this year she proved that she can throw down anywhere, anytime. Noelle had an emotional triumph across the board, posting incredible results.”
Pikus-Pace broke the track record in her first run with a 49.68, only to have it smashed by home track slider Anja Huber’s first run of 49.22. Huber dominated the race today, breaking her own track record by 0.01 seconds in the second run with a 49.21 for a combined time of 1:38.43, claiming the gold.
Michelle Kelly from Canada had the third and second fastest runs of the day, a 49.72 and 49.67, to take silver with a total time of 1:39.39. Only four-hundredths of a second behind was Pikus-Pace with a combined time of 1:39.43 after a second run of 49.75.
Uhlaender had a first run time of 50.13, eighth best of the heat, and climbed two positions into sixth after a second run of 49.85, finishing with a combined time of 1:39.98. Uhleander had a top six finish at every race this season, and dominated overall standings by winning four-consecutive gold medals this season.
“Orvie said something at the beginning of the season that we can reiterate with an exclamation point now, that this is the strongest team that we’ve ever fielded to date,” Sand said. “Look at the medal count, look at the podium results and the World Championships. It’s spectacular.”
Courtney Yamada (Boise, Idaho) had an impressive top ten finish, placing eighth today after runs of 50.37 and 50.27 for a combined time of 1:40.64. Yamada finishes the season ranked fourth overall with 388 points after four podium finishes, including her first-ever World Cup medal, a bronze, in Nagano, Japan.
“Courtney missed third place overall by only one point on her first full year on World Cup,” U.S. skeleton head coach Orvie Garrett said. “That’s incredible. We almost swept the World Cup standings.”
Bree Schaaf-Boyer (Bremerton, Wash.) finished her first season on World Cup tour ranked twelfth with 263 points after finishing twenty-seventh today with a first heat time of 51.37. Only the top twenty finishers in the first heat are given a second run.
Michelle Kelly from Canada refused a U.S. sweep of overall standings, finishing the season ranked third with 389 points. Uhlaender finished first with 715 points, Pikus-Pace is second with 600, and Yamada is fourth with 388.
“The women did great,” Garrett said. “I couldn’t be more proud of this team. They stuck together through a long season.”
“Two events down on the last World Cup race of the season, and we won the overall title in both events,” U.S. bobsled and skeleton Executive Director Terry Kent said. “I am so proud of both teams.”
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