Yarnold wins again as Rudman takes first World Cup title in Calgary

By Sportsbeat staff

ELIZABETH Yarnold ensured the spotlight wasn't just on Shelley Rudman at the final FIBT World Cup race of the season in Calgary taking victory as her teammate claimed the overall title.

FINALLY: Third place was good enough for Shelley Rudman to win her first-ever World Cup title

Yarnold has been nothing short of a revelation since competing in the World Cup for the first time in Koenigssee last month with the win in Canada her second in four races.

A 14th on debut in Germany was followed by a maiden victory in St Moritz and a ninth in Whistler a week ago was followed by a first again at the eighth and final World Cup race of the season.

She also managed to fit in winning the Junior World Championship title and her gold in Calgary was comfortable with Yarnold the clear fastest in the field in both runs.

Yarnold clocked 58.03seconds and 57.90 for an overall winning time of 1:55.93 - 0.54 ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Anja Huber in second.

She became only the second person to win two World Cup races this season, Canadian Mellisa Hollingsworth the other, and will head to the upcoming World Championships full of confidence.

Meanwhile Yarnold's fellow Brit Rudman, second behind Marion Thees in the overall World Cup rankings before taking to the ice, was tied third with home hope Amy Gough in 1:56.57.

More importantly with Thees finishing down in tenth, Rudman's bronze medal was good enough for her to leapfrog Thees and take the World Cup title for the first time in her career.

Rudman could be forgiven for thinking the moment was never going to come having had to settle for second place overall for the past three seasons - but she was finally rewarded for her consistency.

The Olympic silver medallist has been the form slider since the turn of the year ending the season with three thirds, a second and a first for an overall winning total of 1507 points.

Thees settled for second with 1458 while Huber was third with 1443 and Yarnold ranking 19th with 714 after replacing fellow Brit and Olympic champion Amy Williams for the last four races.

Rudman becomes the first Brit to win the World Cup title since Alex Coomber in 2002, and despite the World Championships following later this month in America, she insists it is this title that matters most.

"For the past three years I have been second in the World Cup series and each time it has been down to the final race to decide the overall winner," said Rudman.

"And this season all I had to do was finish ahead of Marion Thees, who was seven points in front of me, in Calgary and I feel so proud to have done that.

"The World Cup title is what I have been after since starting the sport and to me the overall World Cup title is the most prestigious title to win in skeleton."

© Sportsbeat 2012