Skeleton: Britain's Rudman races to skeleton world title

Shelley Rudman became the first British woman to win the skeleton world title on Friday, when she raced to a convincing victory at St Moritz, Switzerland, ahead of Noelle Pikus-Pace of the USA and Canada's Sarah Reid.

The 31-year-old, Wiltshire native set the pace with two blistering heats before comfortably protecting her lead in the third and fourth runs to finish 0.57secs ahead of 2007 world champion, Pikus-Pace while Reid was a distant 1.41secs adrift.

Rudman who won the 2009 and 2011 European titles on the same track, emulates her fiance and the father of her five-year-old child, Kristan Bromley, who became the first British man to win the skeleton world title in 2008 at Altenburg, Germany.

"I'm really, really proud. The title was my goal I worked for in the last two years. I'm happy that everything worked out here."

Rudman became a sports hero in her homeland in 2006, when she became the only British athlete to pick up an Olympic medal at the Turin Games by taking silver behind Maya Pedersen-Bieri of Switzerland.

In recognition of that feat, she was nominated for the British sports personality of the year and appointed flag bearer at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Vancouver Games when she settled for sixth.

Britain's Elizabeth Yarnold who took bronze at the 2012 world championships slipped to fourth this year at 1.54secs, while Melissa Hollingsworth of Canada - who took Olympic bronze behind Rudman in 2006- completed the top five at 1.75secs.

The championships continue with the final two heats of the men's skeleton on Saturday while the four-man bobsleigh is scheduled for Sunday.

sg/gnf

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130201/skeleton-britains-rudman-races-skeleton-world-title