Yarnold gets the better of fellow Brit Rudman to win world bronze

By Sportsbeat staff

LIZZY Yarnold ended a remarkable past two months on a high by claiming FIBT Skeleton World Championship bronze ahead of in-form teammate Shelley Rudman in Lake Placid.

EDGED OUT: Shelley Rudman was beaten to bronze by fellow Brit Lizzy Yarnold at the FIBT Skeleton World Championships

Yarnold has been a revelation since making her senior World Cup debut at the fifth leg of the season in Koenigssee where she replaced Olympic champion Amy Williams on the British team.

Finishing 14th on that occasion in Germany, Yarnold has gone on to claim two World Cup wins in St Moritz, her second senior event, and Calgary either side of Junior World Championship gold.

And if all of that wasn't enough to prove she is no flash in the pan than her performance at the senior World Championships in Lake Placid would have very much done so.

She was placed fourth at the halfway stage after two solid first runs with Rudman, the newly-crowned World Cup champion and Olympic silver medallist from 2006, third - 0.23 seconds ahead.

However Yarnold was the best in the field in runs three and four - topping the timesheets on both occasions with her efforts of 55.40seconds and 55.58 giving her a time of 3:42.69minutes overall.

Rudman kept things interesting with a 55.58 third time out but her fourth and final effort of 56.07 allowed Yarnold to complete the podium, finishing 0.44 ahead of her British teammate.

American Katie Uhlaender took gold on home soil - a reward for her consistency with none of her runs slower than 55.68 - while Canadian Mellisa Hollingsworth similarly held on for silver.

However, while Britain only had one medal to show for their efforts, they were still very much the dominant force in Lake Placid with Williams finishing fifth while Rose McGrandle was 16th.

© Sportsbeat 2012