For Immediate Release:

Friday, December 9, 2005

Contact: Tom LaDue

Public and Media Relations Director

United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation

(518) 523-1842 ext. 106

Igls, Austria – The third stop on the 2005-2006 FIBT Women’s Bobsled World Cup would see the German team of defending 3-time World Cup Champion Sandra Kiriasis and brakeman Anja Schneiderheinze take the gold again this time in Igls, Austria the home of the 1976 Olympic Winter Games. The top American sled of 2005 World Championship Bronze Medalist Shauna Rohbock (Orem, UT) and Valerie Fleming (Foster City, CA) took the bronze in a race that saw all three American sleds finish in the top eight.

The German team of defending 3-time World Cup Champion Sandra Kiriasis and brakeman Anja Schneiderheinze took a gold for the third time this season. Kiriasis and Schneiderheinze had identical pushes of 5.66 to go along with runs of 54.49 (fastest of the race) and 54.82 for a combined time of 1:49.31. Taking the silver, .16 seconds behind the Germans was the Canadian team of Helen Upperton and Heather Moyse. Upperton and Moyse had the fastest pushes of the race with a 5.57 and 5.58 with runs of 54.65 and 54.82 for a combined time of 1:49.47. The bronze went to the American team of 2005 World Championship Bronze Medalist Shauna Rohbock and Valerie Fleming. Rohbock and Fleming had identical pushes of 5.63 with runs of 54.77 and 54.78 for a combined time of 1:49.55.

Just missing out on a medal was the American team of 2002 Olympian Jean Prahm (Waterford, MI) and 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist Vonetta Flowers (Birmingham, AL). Prahm and Flowers had pushes of 5.72 and 5.75 to go along with runs of 54.78 and 55.09 for a combined time of 1:49.87 good for fourth.

Rounding out the top six were: Susi-Lisa Erdmann and Nicole Herschmann from Germany in fifth, with a time of 1:50.04 (54.89, 55.15) and Susanne Gavine-Hlady and Jamie Cruickshank from Canada, in sixth with a time of 1:50.21 (54.88, 55.33).

Also competing for the United States were the teams of 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist Jill Bakken (Kirkland, WA) and Bethany Hart (Trumbull, CT) in eighth. Bakken and Hart had pushes of 5.70 and 5.75 to go along with runs of 55.10 and 55.15 for a combined time of 1:50.25.

When asked about the results Women’s Bobsled Coach Bill Tavares replied, “The coaching staff is very happy with the performance of all three teams once again. To have two teams in the top four is a great indication of just how strong the program is. With the training last week in Cesana Pariol on the Olympic track and the success this week we are hoping for good things next week in Cortina.”

The women’s overall top ten World Cup standings: Sandra Kiriasis, Germany – 300 points; Shauna Rohbock, United States – 250 points; Jean Prahm, United States – 230 points; Helen Upperton, Canada – 212 points; Jill Bakken, United States – 175 points; Susi-Lisa Erdmann, Germany – 171 points; Suzanne Gavine-Hlady, Canada – 158 points; Gerda Weissensteiner, Italy – 146 points; Victoria Tokovaia, Russia – 145 points and Ilse Broeders, Netherlands – 132 points.

The FIBT Women’s Bobsled World Cup Tour now travels to Cortina, Italy for racing on December 16th.

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