World Cup Skeleton Racing Starts in Lake Placid with Top 10 for Ben Sandford

9th November 2012, Lake Placid, NY, USA. -Two time Olympian Ben Sandford, Rotorua placed eighth in the first World Cup of 2012-13 skeleton racing season.

In a new three run format the International federation were trialling, Sandford placed eighth overnight and then retained his spot in the third heat in Lake Placid to finish in eighth position. Sandford said, ‘I was disappointed with my performance today’. Sandford placed third in Lake Placid at the 2012 World Championships so had high expectations.

Last year's no.1 ranked athlete Martins Durkurs of Latvia won the race, with Tomas Durkurs, Latvia second and Alexander Tretiakov, Russia was third.

Sandford’s team mate Katharine Eustace of Wanaka started the first World Cup race well. She was placed sixth after the first run. Unfortunately a crash in one of the corners on her second run dropped her out of the top 10, which meant she did not compete today in the third heat.

‘I was really pleased to be in the top six after my first run and was confident that I could maintain that in my second run. I pushed a personal best in the second heat which got me off to a good start but in corner 10 I made an error and ended up hitting the roof and then the wall which took away all my speed. I am very disappointed but it gives me confidence going into the next couple of races’.

Despite her crash Eustace still managed to finish 16th. The power houses of skeleton racing dominated the women’s race; the top three were Sarah Reid and Mellisa Hollingsworth both of Canada with Marion Thees, Germany in third.

The World Cup skeleton racing season moves next to Park City, Utah where Sandford and Eustace will race next weekend.

See Ben Sandford in action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_hEdrYoPrQ&feature=plcp (watch from 13mins 50secs)

See Katharine Eustance in action at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKLbHlsA7zI&feature=relmfu (watch from 39mins 20 secs)

Full results: www.fibt.com