Coltman wins European silver
Amelia Coltman won European Championship skeleton silver and World Cup bronze in Lillehammer on Friday afternoon.
Coltman ended the World Cup campaign in Norway in the same way she started it in South Korea in November as she made the podium for the second time this season.
The 28-year-old clocked a combined time of 1 minute 44.98 seconds to finish 0.85 seconds behind race winner Janine Flock and 0.39 shy of America’s Mystique Ro, with Ro removed from the standings for the continental championship.
Coltman finished two tenths of a second ahead of Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands in fourth and a further 0.15 in front of Germany’s Susanne Kreher in fifth.
Today’s result saw Coltman jump from fifth to fourth in the Overall World Cup standings at the conclusion of the eight-race season. It marks the best finish for a British female since double Olympic Champion Lizzy Yarnold won silver a decade ago.
“I’m really happy with that. I felt really cool, calm and collected today and I put in a really solid performance, with PBs on my start and downtimes,” said Coltman, whose bronze in last season’s European Championships in Sigulda was the first top-tier medal of her career.
“I came third in the Europeans last year so to get second today is phenomenal.
This year has definitely been a step forward. I’ve shown that I can mix it with the best.
"I started the year on a high with my first World Cup gold, had a bit of a drop off but then picked myself up and have performed really solidly throughout the season.
“I’ve changed a few things with my mindset and it’s unleashed the potential that’s always been there. I’ve still got things to improve on but I’m really excited for next year now.
“To be fourth in the world going into the World Championships and Olympic season is a big boost.”
Fellow Brits Tabby Stoecker and Freya Tarbit finished 10th and 14th in today’s World Cup race and seventh and ninth in the European Championships.
They ended the World Cup campaign in seventh and eighth spots in the overall rankings, giving GB their best global standings across the women’s team since Laura Deas finished fifth and Rose McGrandle seventh when Yarnold was second in 2015.
The female success follows a history making morning in the men’s competition as Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt won Overall World Cup gold and silver.
There is more skeleton action at 3pm GMT on Saturday when the men and women combine for the team race. The World Championships then bring the curtain down on the season in Lake Placid in the United States early next month.
