features

VIDEO - Skeleton Girls Ready for Olympics

 

Feb 12, 2010 / 11:57:48 AM


Australia's skeleton girls finished up a good year on the World Cup Circuit and are looking towards the Vancouver Olympic Games.

Emma Lincoln-Smith and Melissa Hoar, who spoke to Mountainwatch.com's Steve Lee at the final World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria, are a consistent presence in the top 10 at World Cups and could be outside medal chances in Vancouver.

For Hoar a top 10 finish at the Games would mean a goal met, Lincoln-Smith just hopes to do the best she can, which, given her performances this season could be very good indeed.

Australia has never won an Olympic sliding medal but Hoar was World under 23 Champion in 2005. Injury plagued her for two years but the 27 year old is now back in fine form and if her improvement rate continues - she started the season Australia's third ranked athlete, competing at Intercontinental Cup level and is now Australian number one with two World Cup top 10 finishes claimed in the past month - she could be a threat to the sliding heavyweights from Germany, Canada and Great Britain.

The Olympic skeleton takes place over two days, 18 and 19 February, with two runs on each day. The fastest combined time wins.

The 2010 Australian Winter Olympic Team

Skeleton athletes' profiles

LiveBlog commentary of Olympic events

tags: olympic, features, feature, skeleton, emma, lincoln, smith, melissa, hoar, innsbruck, world, cup