Category: Skeleton

by Abhishek Shukla

Second win of the season for defending World Cup Champion Tina Hermann in Altenberg

Altenberg (RWH) Tina Hermann (GER), defending World Cup title holder in the women’s  skeleton, celebrated her second victory in the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024 on her home  track in Altenberg (GER).In the seventh of eight races this season, the record-breaking World  Champion (four titles) stood at the top of the World Cup podium for the 19th time in total.  

In second place, World Champion Susanne Kreher (GER, 0.10 seconds behind) celebrated her  first podium finish of the season in front of her home crowd in Altenberg.  

Push World Champion Mystique Ro from the USA (0.24 seconds back), seventh after the first  run in Altenberg, finished third eventually and celebrated her third podium finish of the current  World Cup winter.  

In the overall standings for the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024, World Championship silver  medallist Kimberley Bos from the Netherlands defended her lead ahead of the final in Lake  Placid (USA, 21-23 March 2024) with fifth place in Altenberg and now 1370 points. With a 216- point lead, her second overall victory after 2022 is almost impossible to take. Skeleton  European Champion Kim Meylemans from Belgium remains second overall with 1154 points  after finishing 14th in Altenberg. World Cup title defender Tina Hermann (GER, 1138), who is  not nominated for the German team for the upcoming BMW IBSF World Championships in  Winterberg, moved up to third place overall with her victory in Altenberg. 

by Abhishek Shukla

Lisa Buckwitz in St. Moritz with third monobob victory in a row

St. Moritz (RWH) Bobsleigh pilot Lisa Buckwitz has celebrated her third consecutive  Monobob victory in the fourth race of the winter at the BMW IBSF World Cup in St. Moritz  (SUI). At the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz Celerina, Buckwitz was in third place after the first  run and took the lead in the second run with a season track record (1:10.89 minutes).  

Monobob World Champion Laura Nolte (GER, 0.13 seconds back), the leader after the first  run, dropped back one place and finished second. Australia’s Breeana Walker finished  third, 0.15 seconds behind winner Lisa Buckwitz and celebrated her third podium in a row  in Monobob World Cup.  

Olympic silver medallist Elana Meyers Taylor (USA) missed out on her first monobob  podium finish of her comeback season in St. Moritz and finished fourth. Local hero Melanie  Hasler from Switzerland finished in fifth place.  

With her victory, Lisa Buckwitz (GER, 843 points) also took the lead in the overall standings  for the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024. Breeana Walker (AUS, 794) remains second  overall. Previous leader Kaysha Love (USA, 779), ninth in St. Moritz, is now third overall. 

by Abhishek Shukla

Italian Amedeo Bagnis with skeleton World Cup victory for the history books Olympic Champion Grotheer

St. Moritz (RWH) The BMW IBSF World Cup in St. Moritz (SUI) has come to an end with a  skeleton victory for the sporting history books. Amedeo Bagnis was the first athlete from  Italy to win a World Cup race in the men’s skeleton. At the World Championships or  Olympics, Italy has only ever won skeleton gold once: in 1948, Nino Bibbia became  Olympic Champion on the neighbouring Cresta Run, with the Winter Games also taking  place in St. Moritz at the time.  

On the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz Celerina, World Championships silver medallist Amedeo  Bagnis won the fourth World Cup of the winter with a 0.52 second lead over Olympic  Champion Christopher Grotheer from Germany. Third place went to World Championships  bronze medallist Seunggi Jung (KOR, 0.89 seconds back).  

World Champion Matt Weston from Great Britain narrowly missed out on the podium at the  BWM IBSF World Cup, finishing fourth ahead of push world champion Yin Zheng from  China. Mattia Gaspari completed the Italian team’s excellent result in St. Moritz in sixth  place with his best World Cup result to date.  

The best Swiss athlete at the BMW IBSF World Cup in St. Moritz was Vinzenz Buff. The  bronze medallist at the 2024 IBSF Junior World Championships achieved his best World  Cup result to date in 18th place on his home track.  

Seunggi Jung (KOR, 827 points) continues to lead the overall standings in the BMW IBSF  World Cup after four of the season’s eight races, ahead of Christopher Grotheer (GER,  819) and Matt Weston (GBR, 771). 

by Abhishek Shukla

Skeleton athlete Kimberley Bos extends World Cup lead with victory in St. Moritz

St. Moritz (RWH) Skeleton World Championships silver medallist Kimberley Bos from the  Netherlands has extended her lead in the overall standings at the halfway point of the  2023/2024 BMW IBSF World Cup with her second win of the season in the fourth race. At  the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz Celerina in Switzerland, the Olympic silver medallist beat  the Italian Valentina Margaglio (0.73 seconds behind) into second place with a season track  record in the second run (1:08.80 minutes) 

There was a surprise in third place: US skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender competed in the  BMW IBSF World Cup for the first time in two years. 0.84 seconds behind winner Bos, the  39-year-old, overall World Cup winner in 2008 and World Champion in 2012, celebrated  her first World Cup podium finish since February 2013 in third place in St. Moritz.  

World Champion Susanne Kreher (GER) narrowly missed out on the podium and finished  fourth.  

Janine Flock from Austria, overall winner in 2015 and 2021, finished her 100th World Cup  race in seventh place.  

The best Swiss athlete in St. Moritz was U20 World Championships silver medallist Sara  Schmied, who finished 19th.  Kimberley Bos (NED, 810 points) leads the overall standings in the BMW IBSF World Cup  after four of the season’s eight races, ahead of Valentina Margaglio (ITA, 748) and four time World Champion Tina Hermann (GER, 697), who finished fifth in St. Moritz.

by Abhishek Shukla

Skeleton athlete Kimberley Bos wins the BMW IBSF World Cup in Innsbruck Valentina Margaglio second ahead of Tabitha Stoecker 

Innsbruck (RWH) Vice World Champion Kimberley Bos from the Netherlands has won the BMW ISBF Women’s Skeleton World Cup in Innsbruck (AUT). This was the fifth time in total that the overall winner and 2022 Olympic bronze medallist has topped the World Cup podium.

In the third race of the 2023/2024 winter season, Kimberley Bos relegated Italy’s Valentina Margaglio (0.17 seconds behind) to second place. Tabitha Stoecker (GBR, 0.20 seconds back) secured third place. The Briton had surprisingly won the World Cup in La Plagne (FRA) a week earlier.
One hundredth of a second behind the podium places, local hero Janine Flock (AUT) finished fourth, with Mirela Rahneva from Canada a further 0.01 seconds behind in fifth.
Kim Meylemans from Belgium completed the top six with athletes from six different nations.
Kimberley Bos (NED, 585 points) also took the lead in the overall standings of the BMW IBSF World Cup with her first win of the season. Valentina Margaglio (ITA, 538) is second overall ahead of Kim Meylemans (BEL, 528).

 

by Abhishek Shukla

Lisa Buckwitz Triumphs in Monobob World Cup at Innsbruck

In a spectacular display of skill and precision, German bobsleigh pilot Lisa Buckwitz clinched the top spot in the monobob event at the BMW IBSF World Cup in Innsbruck. The bronze medalist from the 2023 World Championships dominated the competition by recording the fastest times in both runs and securing the best start time of the race.

Buckwitz’s victory was challenged closely by Australian athlete Breeana Walker, who finished second, just 0.25 seconds behind. Walker, who placed fourth at the World Championships, continued her impressive form on the international stage. The podium was completed by World Champion Laura Nolte, also from Germany, who finished 0.30 seconds behind Buckwitz.

The event also marked a significant moment for Austrian bobsleigh pilot Katrin Beierl, who made a commendable comeback to finish eleventh in the World Cup standings after a year’s absence due to illness. This performance was a testament to Beierl’s resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

In the overall standings for the 2023/2024 BMW IBSF World Cup, American athlete Kaysha Love maintained her lead with 417 points, despite finishing fourth in Innsbruck. Love had previously stunned the bobsleigh world with her victory in the season opener in La Plagne. Following closely in the overall standings is Breeana Walker from Australia, with 394 points, and Lisa Buckwitz, the latest race winner, is now third with 393 points.

The Monobob World Cup competition is heating up as athletes from various countries vie for dominance in this thrilling winter sport. With each race, the stakes get higher, and the margins for victory become narrower, offering an exciting spectacle for fans of winter sports. As the season progresses, the competition is expected to intensify, with top athletes pushing their limits to secure their positions in the overall standings of this prestigious event.

by Abhishek Shukla

Skeleton World Champion Weston Clinches Season’s First Victory at BMW IBSF World Cup

In an exhilarating display of skill and speed, Great Britain’s Skeleton World Champion Matt Weston seized his first win of the season at the third race of the 2023/2024 BMW IBSF World Cup held in Innsbruck. Demonstrating his championship pedigree, Weston, who was last year’s overall World Cup runner-up, recorded the fastest run times in both heats in Innsbruck, Austria. This victory marks Weston’s seventh top finish in the World Cup series, with three of these wins being clinched in Innsbruck.

Close behind, Seunggi Jung from Korea showcased his prowess on the icy track, securing second place with a marginal 0.15-second gap. The event also saw a triumphant return to form for Germany’s Felix Keisinger, who finished third, lagging by 0.32 seconds. This podium finish is Keisinger’s first since November 2020 and his fifth in the BMW IBSF World Cup, a significant achievement considering his previous best was in Sigulda, Latvia.

While the international athletes shone, the host nation Austria found its best result in Samuel Maier, who finished a respectable eleventh.

In the overall standings for the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024, the leaderboard has seen some interesting shifts. Seunggi Jung now leads the pack with 627 points, closely followed by Olympic Champion Christopher Grotheer from Germany, who stands second with 609 points after finishing fifth in Innsbruck. Matt Weston, with his recent victory, has propelled himself into the third position, accumulating 579 points.

This season’s BMW IBSF World Cup is already shaping up to be a thrilling contest with top athletes from around the globe vying for supremacy in one of the most challenging and exhilarating winter sports. The competition continues to be fierce, with each race bringing unexpected turns and showcasing the incredible skill and dedication of these world-class skeleton athletes.