Shelley Rudman out to rain on Hollingsworth's parade

By Ryan Bangs, Sportsbeat

OLYMPIC silver medallist Shelley Rudman is expecting no old pals' act when she goes head to head with Canada's Melissa Hollingsworth in Vancouver but believes she has the measure of her great friend and rival.

ICE QUEEN: Shelley Rudman reveals friendship will count for very little at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver (Getty Images)

Rudman, 28, and Hollingsworth, who finished third behind the Brit at Turin 2006, are among a small band of genuine gold medal contenders in Vancouver, which also includes German duo Marian Trott and Kerstin Szymkowiak.

The Canadian, having collected the overall World Cup title in Igls last month and with the advantage of home ice, is the slight favourite to upgrade her 2006 bronze to gold.

Hollingsworth has had the edge over Rudman this season and has finished just one place ahead of her at no less than four World Cup events, while the Brit has retaliated just once at her second World Cup victory of the season in St Moritz.

But Rudman revealed she will be pulling no punches as she bids to claim Great Britain's first Winter Olympic champion since Rhona Martin captured gold at Salt Lake City 2002.

"I'm pretty excited because we are quite good friends as well she's a really strong slider at the moment," she said.

"Melissa is a good friend and I hope she does well but I'm British and I'm very competitive and so I hope I do better. That would be good.

"But we are neck and neck and we have been all season so although she's strong I'm on her tail.

"But there are about four of us now, the two German girls are really strong as well now and Melissa. We are really, really strong now so it will be who can pull it out of the bag over the two days.

"Pretty much all the competitors travel to each circuit and we might see each other on the auto-bahn's going to the next venue and everyone's pretty good, they are like little family networks.

"But as soon as you race you are straight in race mode and you don't talk so much, but outside of that everyone's really happy."

Rudman has been a picture of consistency and has failed to reach the top four just once in her eight World Cup outings this season.

That one blip came just a week before Christmas in Altenberg where she was struggling with illness but Rudman is adamant she will be fighting fit in Vancouver.

"My start has taken a little bit of a dip because of the bug that I had over Christmas, so I'm working on those again and I'm hope to sharpen up in time for Vancouver," she said.

"And when I can get my starts back up there then I can be probably be a big threat to them as well."