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CESANA, Italy — Breckenridge’s Katie Uhlaender is on her way to reclaiming the overall title after winning the women’s skeleton World Cup competition Friday in Cesana, Italy.
Uhlaender finished fourth in Thursday’s race, but rebounded Friday by winning her second gold medal this year. Uhlaender won the overall title last year.
“I had a lot of fun today,” Uhlaender said. “We had great weather, and everyone was smiling at the start of the race. I wasn’t thinking about yesterday, I wasn’t thinking about results, I was just concentrating on maintaining my form.”
Uhlaender pushed a 5.09 second start time in the first heat, and drove her way into the lead with a run of 59.15 seconds. Russian athlete Svetlana Trunova shocked the field by crossing the finish line only 0.04 seconds behind the defending World Cup Champion.
Trunova again laid down a solid run in the second heat, a 59.42, for a total time of 1:58.61. Despite Trunova’s efforts, Germany’s Anja Huber slid the fastest run of the second heat, a 59.04, moving Huber 0.07 seconds ahead of the Russian with a combined time of 1:58.54.
Huber’s impressive second run put pressure on Uhlaender to perform. Uhlaender responded with a run of 59.36, which was 0.03 seconds fast enough to take the lead. Today’s win is Uhlaender’s seventh career gold medal, and her second this season. Huber continues to climb in international standings, while today marks Trunova’s first-ever World Cup medal.
“When I saw Anja’s time in the second run, I didn’t care,” Uhlaender said. “I’m not competing against her, I’m competing against myself. My main goal is to think about what I need to do on race day, and not anything or anyone else.”
Uhlaender finished fourth in Thursday’s race, but rebounded Friday by winning her second gold medal this year. Uhlaender won the overall title last year.
“I had a lot of fun today,” Uhlaender said. “We had great weather, and everyone was smiling at the start of the race. I wasn’t thinking about yesterday, I wasn’t thinking about results, I was just concentrating on maintaining my form.”
Uhlaender pushed a 5.09 second start time in the first heat, and drove her way into the lead with a run of 59.15 seconds. Russian athlete Svetlana Trunova shocked the field by crossing the finish line only 0.04 seconds behind the defending World Cup Champion.
Trunova again laid down a solid run in the second heat, a 59.42, for a total time of 1:58.61. Despite Trunova’s efforts, Germany’s Anja Huber slid the fastest run of the second heat, a 59.04, moving Huber 0.07 seconds ahead of the Russian with a combined time of 1:58.54.
Huber’s impressive second run put pressure on Uhlaender to perform. Uhlaender responded with a run of 59.36, which was 0.03 seconds fast enough to take the lead. Today’s win is Uhlaender’s seventh career gold medal, and her second this season. Huber continues to climb in international standings, while today marks Trunova’s first-ever World Cup medal.
“When I saw Anja’s time in the second run, I didn’t care,” Uhlaender said. “I’m not competing against her, I’m competing against myself. My main goal is to think about what I need to do on race day, and not anything or anyone else.”
