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U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Teams Look To Claim Five Overall Titles at Final World Cup Event
By Amanda Bird // U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation // February 20, 2007
LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—The U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams will look to claim five overall titles at the final World Cup event in Königssee, Germany this week. Entering the last race, the U.S. boasts three overall World Cup leaders in two-man bobsled and both men’s and women’s skeleton, as well as four athletes second in overall points, ready to make their final effort to claim the overall title.
The schedule is as follows. All times listed are in Central European Time, followed by Eastern Standard Time in parentheses:
· Two-man bobsled: Friday, Feb. 23 at 9:00 (3 a.m.)
· Women’s skeleton: Friday, Feb. 23 at 14:00 (8 a.m.)
· Women’s bobsled: Saturday, Feb. 24 at 9:00 (3 a.m.)
· Men’s skeleton: Saturday, Feb. 24 at 14:00 (8 a.m.)
· Four-man bobsled: Sunday, Feb. 25 at 10:00 (4 a.m.)
In women’s skeleton, four-time U.S. National Champion Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.) is in the overall lead after having won six World Cup medals this season, five of them gold. Noelle Pikus-Pace (Orem, Utah) won the 2007 World Championship race in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and is currently second overall behind her teammate after winning four World Cup medals in addition to her World Championship title. Courtney Yamada (Boise, Idaho) enters the final event ranked fifth, only fifteen points from a top three overall finish. Bree Schaaf-Boyer (Bremerton, Wash.) made her World Cup debut this year, and is currently ranked twelfth.
World Cup leader Zach Lund (Salt Lake City, Utah) has won four medals in men’s skeleton, including a gold on the 2006 Olympic track in Cesana, Italy. Four-time U.S. National Champion Eric Bernotas (Avondale, Pa.) is currently second after winning three World Cup medals this season and breaking the track record in Nagano, Japan for the win. Chris Hedquist (Salt Lake City, Utah) is ranked eighth entering this week’s race, with teammate Caleb Smith (Lake Placid, N.Y.) in fourteenth.
In men’s bobsled, Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah) is first in two-man points and second in four-man. Having won nine World Cup medals this season, Holcomb also leads in overall combined standings. Teaming with push athletes Pavle Jovanovic (Tom’s River, N.J.), Brock Kreitzburg (Akron, Ohio), Steve Mesler (Calgary, Alberta), and Curt Tomasevicz (Lincoln, Nebraska), Holcomb has the opportunity to claim three overall World Cup titles this week.
U.S. four-man National Champion Grayson Fertig (Oxford, Conn.) will team with push athletes Jesse Beckom III (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Theron Johnson (Wheaton, Md.) and Tim O’Mara (Salt Lake City, Utah) in only his third World Cup race.
Shauna Rohbock (Orem, Utah) and brakewoman Valerie Fleming (Foster City, Calif.) are second in World Cup points, just ten points behind Germany’s Sandra Kiriasis. Rohbock has won six medals this season, and finished with a bronze at the World Championships.
SPEED Channel will be televising the Königssee, Germany event on Saturday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 25. Two-man bobsled and skeleton will be aired on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST, while four-man and women’s bobsled will air on Sunday at 3 p.m. EST.
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