​Bree Walker and Kiara Reddingius have delivered Australia’s best-ever Olympic result in the 2-Woman Bobsleigh, finishing 10th in Cortina.

After breaking into the top 10 on their second run on day one, the pair backed it up with another strong effort to open their final day of competition. 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au

They maintained their position in heat three, then starting 11th on their final run, were able to hold onto 10th place overall, surpassing the previous Australian best of 14th. 

With spectators moved from the grandstand adjacent to the finish house as a precautionary measure due to a snow accumulation, Walker and Reddingius were able to run straight into the arms of family after crossing the line. 

"That was absolutely amazing," Walker said. "I’m so glad they got to see that. I’m so glad they got to experience it. 

"It was just a great way to end this Olympics.” 

For Reddingius, whose parents had travelled from the West Australian goldfields, sharing the moment trackside was overwhelming. 

“I did have a little bit of a meltdown!” Reddingius admitted with a laugh. “They’ve come a long way. It was really nice to share that moment with them and with Bree’s family. We’re all pretty much family at this point. It was really special.” 

Walker, competing at her second Games and coming off an eighth-place finish in the monobob, said having her family present meant everything. 

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s such a rare occurrence to have my family trackside,” she said. “They don’t get to come to every race. So to have them here… it means everything.” 

The pride extended within the team itself, with Reddingius full of admiration for her pilot’s progression from the individual competition through all four heats of the two-man event. 

“I can’t express how proud I am of Bree,” Reddingius said. “She reset, she worked it out, and it just got better and better. I’m just so incredibly proud that we were able to do that.” 

History was also made behind them, with Australia fielding two teams in the Olympic 2-Woman Bobsleigh for the first time. 
Sarah Blizzard and Desi Johnson finished 21st after entering day two in 19th in a tightly-packed field.

With just 0.02 seconds separating them from a fourth run, the pair chose not to let the narrow margin define their campaign. 

"I think that’s a huge achievement, to have two women’s teams," said Blizzard. "We were always going to be close to that top 20. 

"I was saying just before that we’re always on the edge of the top 20 in World Cup, and the year before we weren’t even making the top 20. 

"So I think it was always going to be tough. I know it’s a very competitive race. 

"I think I did the best I could. I made a lot of adjustments and I think we did a great job." 

Johnson echoed her pilot’s sentiments, and while disappointed not to get a fourth run, knows they gave it all they could. 

"It's just so close - you've just got to put everything out there and that's what we did tonight," Johnson said. 

"We can call ourselves Olympians now and we go home happy... I'm just so proud of us." 

​History was made under lights at the Cortina Sliding Centre on Friday as Australia fielded two teams in the Olympic 2-Woman Bobsleigh for the first time, with both combinations building momentum from heat one to heat two.

For returning Olympians Bree Walker and Kiara Reddingius, night one of competition was about execution and belief. 

The pair exploded from the blocks in the first run, producing one of the fastest start times in the field to move into 11th place. 

They then recorded the seventh-fastest second run to break into the top 10 and set up their final day of competition tomorrow. 

“Super, super happy with today,” Walker said afterwards. “Training was good throughout the week and that really built my confidence coming in here, knowing I could lay down some really good runs. 

“Kiara set me up with a great start, with a really huge push start. 

“So yeah, we’re really happy with how today went. 

“All we wanted to do was come here and push our best, I wanted to drive my best, and have the best setup we could. I think we’ve done that.” 

While Walker and Reddingius have Olympic experience from Beijing 2022, it was a very different emotion for Sarah Blizzard and Desi Johnson, who launched into their Games debut earlier. 

With family gathered in the start house, the moment hit as soon as they crossed the finish line for the first time with the realisation they were officially Olympians. 

Sitting 22nd after the first run, and with the emotion of their Olympic debut settled, the pair applied their learnings in the second heat to produce a strong response.

Going into the provisional lead, Blizzard and Johnson watched on from the leader’s box as back-to-back crews failed to surpass them, eventually finishing the second run in 19th place. 

“I knew I could make improvements from the first run and I did,” Blizzard said. “But there’s more in me.” 

Both crews return on Saturday night for the final two heats. Run three will be contested in current place order, while only the top 20 sleds will advance to the fourth and deciding heat, which will run from slowest to fastest. 

Now inside the top 20 required for that fourth run, Blizzard and Johnson know they must be at their best to maintain or improve their position - and believe they can. 

“Build from here,” Blizzard said. “Reset tomorrow and do it again.” 

The sentiment was echoed by Walker and Reddingius as they look to push further into the top 10. 

“We’ve just got to go back tomorrow and go again,” Walker said. “We’ll take the learnings from today and see if we can keep building. 

“It’s going to be a great battle… we just keep building from here.” 

​“What’s There to Be Sad About?” - Walker finds perspective in Cortina 

When Bree Walker completed her fourth and final heat of the Women’s Monobob tonight at the Cortina Sliding Centre and removed her helmet, her trademark grin was there for all to see. 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au ​

She hugged teammate Kiara Reddingius and turned to the small but vocal group of family in the stand adjacent to the track, smiling and waving to those who have been with her every step of her journey to become a two-time Olympian. 

For Walker, that moment mattered just as much as the clock, and possibly more so than the eighth place result she achieved. 

“At the finish I did have a big smile,” she said. “All I wanted to see was a ‘1’ on the timing light and I just wanted to see Kiara and I just wanted to see my family. 

“What a beautiful thing. It’s not every day that I have my family trackside for racing. 

“So what’s there to be sad about when you have such wonderful supporters that are coming all the way from Australia here to see me at the Olympics?” 

The perspective Walker showed post-race was the sign of an experienced athlete who understands that sometimes the result on the day does not fully reflect the effort and dedication poured into a campaign. 

“I feel like I was coming off a season where I’ve improved a lot in my driving and improved a lot in my start and I improved a lot as an athlete,” said the Queensland Academy of Sport representative. “And so I was ready to come here and race, but, you know, yeah, the track got the better of me, I guess, and that is the result and I have to live with it. 

“You have to just be able to adapt quickly to the conditions and that’s the nature of the Olympics and that’s why it’s such a special event. 

“The ones who do, you take your hat off to them because you’re like, man, you were able to figure it out and execute when it mattered and that’s really impressive.”

While there was disappointment in the outcome and there will be moments of reflection to come, seeing Reddingius at the finish line reminded Walker her Milano Cortina 2026 story is only halfway complete. 

“When I crossed the line I said, ‘Alright, that’s done, on to two-man.’” 

The 2-woman Bobsleigh begins on Friday, with Walker and Reddingius teaming up for their second straight Games toegther. It is a partnership built on trust and resilience, qualities that will be needed after a testing season. 

“Our two-man season’s been pretty hard this year, but, you know, we’re Aussies, we don’t give up and we keep fighting and we’re just going to go out there and do our very best and see what happens,” Walker said. 

With family in the stands and her teammate now quite literally behind her in the sled, Walker’s Olympic campaign is far from over. 

Bree Walker fought back on the second run of the Women’s Monobob to keep herself in contention for a medal after day one of competition. 

After only setting the 11th fastest time on the opening run, Walker remain composed and was far cleaner her second time down the course. 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au

Walker’s second run was nearly two-tenths of a second faster than her first and saw her move four spots up the rankings and into seventh position. 

“I made some notoriously unexpected mistakes in the first heat so I was really happy to be able to come down and lay it down in the second heat and move up a few spots,” said Walker. 

“It’s a really tight race and it’s four heats so you’ve just got to keep going.” 

The Aussie’s aggregate time after two runs currently sits 0.77 off the provisional podium, but with many of the top 10 having issues on at least one of their runs on Sunday, the medallists are from settled. 

“I know what I can produce and I’ve just got to keep going,” said Walker. “World Championships and Olympics are four heats, it’s a marathon, so you’ve just got to keep going, keep going, keep going. 

Walker will rest up over the next 24 hours before athletes return on Monday night for their final two runs. 

“Tomorrow’s a new day – I've just got to go back and reset, focus on my cues, my race, what I need to do in order to be able to execute.” 

Bree Walker will contest the Runs 3 & 4 of the Women’s Monobob from 5am AEDT on Tuesday 17 February

Australian bobsleigh star Bree Walker has capped off a superb World Cup campaign with a silver medal at the final monobob event of the season in Altenberg, Germany.
 
Walker’s great form has her second  for the third consecutive year in the final World Cup season rankings. Walker heads into next month’s Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina full of confidence after her best season including three victories and a total of five podium finishes from seven World Cup starts.
 
Walker opened her Altenberg campaign with a strong first run, combining a solid push with excellent driving to produce the third‑fastest time of the heat at 59.50 seconds. She backed it up with an impressive performance in the final run, clocking the second‑fastest time of 59.60 seconds.
 
Her combined total of 1:59.10 secured the silver medal, and the 17th World Cup medal of her career.

The USA’s Kaillie Armbruster Humphries claimed victory with a two‑run combined time of 1:58.97, finishing 0.13 seconds ahead of Walker, while Germany’s Laura Nolte placed third in 1:59.16.
 
“I am absolutely stoked to finish on the podium again in the last race of the season, and especially here in Altenberg where I have sure had some interesting races,” said the 33-year-old from Queensland.
 
“To finish second, which then secured my second place overall, I am on top of the world. Very happy to finish the World Cup season like this, and it gives me a lot of confidence and momentum leading towards the Olympic Games in 20 days’ time.
 
“I definitely feel that my driving has gone to a whole new level this year. It’s been such a team effort to get me to this point.
 
“This season I just wanted to build momentum towards the Games, and I think we have done that. It’s been my best season so far, and I am filled with a lot of confidence and excitement heading toward Cortina.”
 
Also competing for Australia was Sarah Blizzard in 20th place.
 
Walker concluded the World Cup series with 1429 points in the overall standings, narrowly missing the Crystal Globe by just 17 points to Nolte, with Germany’s Lisa Buckwitz in third on 1320.
 
Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius did not compete in the two‑woman event in Altenberg, leaving Blizzard and brakewoman Desi Johnson as the sole Australian crew in the final World Cup race of the two-woman season, where they finished in 15th place.

Australian bobsleigh star Bree Walker has created history as the first Australian to win a gold medal on the iconic St Moritz track in Switzerland, with victory in the monobob event.
 
The QAS bobsleigh pilot has now won three World Cup events this season, elevating her to second in the overall standings with just one event remaining before the Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
 
The Celerina track in St Moritz is one of the sport’s most iconic venues, as the only  track featuring hand-cut ice and natural refrigeration. Steeped in tradition, it hosted the 1928 and 1948 Olympic Winter Games bobsleigh events.
 
The 33-year-old from Queensland set the tone in the opening run with a fast push and her trademark precision driving, clocking 1:11.98 seconds, the fastest time of the round and 0.14 seconds clear of second place.
 
In the final run, as the last competitor on the track, Walker delivered another flawless performance, stopping the clock at 1:11.29 seconds. Her combined time of 2:23.27 secured victory by a commanding 0.53-second margin, marking the sixth World Cup win of her career.
 
Switzerland’s Melanie Hasler claimed silver with 2:23.80, while Austria’s Katrin Beierl took bronze in 2:23.95.
 
After the race, Walker praised her coach Pierre Lueders for helping her achieve her breakthrough victory at St. Moritz.
 
“Pierre has been teaching me for years, and it’s been a slow process. He loves this track and has had so much success here, so I think I should dedicate this win to him today.”
 
Reflecting on Lueders’ reaction in the coaches’ box, Walker added:
 
“Well that's fantastic, I'm glad Pierre had a lot of fun today, I sure did, and especially to be on the podium with Kati and Mel, that's our dream podium and we had a really good time.”
 
Also competing for Australia was fellow QAS bobsleigh pilot Sarah Blizzard in 20th place.
 
The win moves Walker into second place on the monobob World Cup standings with 1219 points, trailing Laura Nolte of Germany by 27 points on 1246, with Lisa Buckwitz also of Germany in third with 1128 points.
 
Two Woman Bobsleigh World Cup
 
On the final day in St. Moritz, the two-woman World Cup event was contested, with Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius finishing 16th, while Blizzard and brakewoman Desi Johnson placed 20th.
 
The last World Cup events before the Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games will be held in Altenberg, Germany, monobob is on January 17 and the two-woman competition is scheduled for the following day on January 18.

IMAGES
Bree Walker in action (top) and leading the podium in St Moritz
© Viesturs Lacis/IBSF

The first IBSF World Cup for 2026 was held in Winterberg, Germany, where QAS pilot Bree Walker secured ninth place in the monobob event, while fellow QAS pilot Sarah Blizzard and brakewoman Desi Johnson achieved a personal-best 17th in the two-woman competition
 
In the monobob, Walker opened with the fifth fastest run in a time of 59.22 seconds, and in run two finished in 59.64 seconds which was the 12th fastest of the round, with her two-run time of 1:58.86 ranking her ninth overall. Blizzard finished in 24th place.
 
The victory went to Germany’s Laura Nolte, who finished 0.49 seconds ahead of Walker. Canadian Cynthia Appiah claimed silver, while another German, Lisa Buckwitz, rounded out the podium in third.
 
“In the two-woman event, Blizzard and Johnson opened with the 14th-fastest time in run one at 57.81 seconds, before clocking 57.88 in run two, the 19th-best of the round. Their combined time of 1:55.85 secured 17th place overall—their best World Cup finish of the season so far.
 
Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius were first on track, posting 58.02 in the opening run for 19th place. They improved slightly in run two with 57.38, finishing 19th overall with a combined time of 1:55.85.
 
Germany’s Laura Nolte made it a double victory, leading a clean sweep of the two-woman podium alongside brakewoman Deborah Levi. Teammates Lisa Buckwitz and Kira Lipperheide claimed silver, while Kim Kalicki, partnered with Leonie Fiebig and Talea Prepans, rounded out the podium in third.
 
The next World Cup stop is at St. Moritz on the iconic hand-cut Celerina track, featuring the monobob event on January 11 and the two-woman competition on January 12.

Australian bobsleigh star Bree Walker has continued her outstanding form, winning her second consecutive World Cup monobob gold medal, this time in Sigulda, Latvia, after delivering an exceptional final run for the fifth victory of her career.
 
In warm conditions, Walker opened with the fourth-fastest time in the first run in 53.12 seconds. During the decisive second run, Walker produced one of her best performances of the season, combining a fast start with precision throughout the course for the fastest run of the round to finish in 53.36 seconds, giving her a two-run combined time of 1:46.48.
 
Walker’s consistency this season has been impressive, with three podium finishes and two victories from four starts.
 
Germany’s Laura Nolte claimed silver with a combined time of 1:46.59, just 0.11 seconds behind Walker, while Austria’s Katrin Beierl secured bronze in 1:46.62.
 
“Feeling on top of the world to finish 2025 with another win in the monobob,” said the 33-year-old QAS scholarship athlete from North Queensland.
 
“It was a great race today, my second run was awesome. When I crossed the line, it got me really fired up and I knew I'd move up a few spots, and to finish on top of the podium is just an awesome feeling.
 
“Over the Christmas break, I’ll be spending time with my Mum and Dad in Calgary. They’ve travelled all the way from Australia to join me, and it will be their first white Christmas, which is a big change from Cairns to minus 20 degrees in Calgary!
 
“I’m really looking forward to enjoying a wonderful Christmas with family and friends, while also taking the time to recover and reenergize for the rest of the season.”
 
After four events, Walker is now just three points of first place on the monobob World Cup standings with 842 points, behind Nolte on 845, with Lisa Buckwitz also of Germany in third with 760 points.
 
The next World Cup event for Walker will take place in the New Year on January 3 in Winterberg, Germany.

Australian bobsleigh star Bree Walker has delivered a commanding performance to claim the monobob World Cup event in Lillehammer, Norway, recording the fastest times in both heats to dominate the competition.
 
The victory marks the QAS bobsleigh pilots fourth career World Cup win and continues her remarkable record on the historic 1994 Lillehammer Olympic track, where she now boasts three consecutive World Cup race victories.
 
Walker impressed with her best push starts of the season, ranking third in both heats, before setting the pace with a first run of 53.86 seconds and a second run of 54.02 seconds, for a combined time of 1:47.88.
 
Austria’s Katrin Beierl finished second in 1:48.32, 0.44 seconds behind Walker, while Germany’s Laura Nolte claimed third with 1:48.36.
 
“It was a great race today, I was really happy with both runs and both pushes, it was probably one of the best races I've done,” said the 33-year-old Waker from Queensland.
 
“I really enjoy Lillehammer, we spend a lot of time here in preseason, so it feels like coming home each time we come back. I enjoy the little nuances of the track and being able to put that all together in a run. Often I know I have done a fast run before I've even crossed the line if I've been able to execute certain parts of the track.
 
“The competition is so tough, we're going be jumping around all year in the rankings, but I am happy to be currently sitting second after the third race and we will just keep taking things race by race. “
 
After three events, Walker sits second in the monobob World Cup standings with 617 points, just 18 behind Nolte on 635, with Lisa Buckwitz also of Germany in third with 568 points.
 
Walker also competed in the two-woman event with brakewoman Kiara Reddingius, with the pair finishing in 12th place.
 
The final World Cup before the Christmas break takes place next weekend in Sigulda, Latvia, with the monobob event on December 20 and two-woman on December 21.

Women's monobob podium in Lillehammer
© Viesturs Lacis/IBSF

QAS bobsleigh pilot Bree Walker came agonizingly close to back-to-back podium finishes to start the season, overcoming a lower back injury to secure fourth place at the IBSF World Cup on the Igls track in Innsbruck, Austria.

Walker opened the event in spectacular fashion, posting the fastest time of the first run with 56.01 seconds. However, during the initial push, she sustained a back injury that hampered her performance in the second heat. Despite her best efforts, Walker recorded the 11th fastest time of the round (56.34 seconds), bringing her two-run total to 1:52.35—just 0.02 seconds shy of third place.
 
Victory went to American Kaysha Love, finishing 0.33 seconds ahead of Walker, with Germany’s Laura Nolte in second and Lisa Buckwitz in third.
 
“I was very proud of the first run push and drive,” said the 2022 Olympian from Queensland.

“In the second heat I unfortunately hurt my lower back in the first push, so I couldn’t quite push to the intensity I wanted. This track is a push track, so if you don’t have a strong start, there’s not much you can do to make up for it.

“I’m happy to walk away with fourth considering the situation, and I’m taking away the positives—the first heat was very positive.”
 
In the two-woman event, Walker was joined by brakewoman Kiara Reddingius, but Walker was still impacted by the injury from the previous days which limited the push at the start and the pair finished in 18th place.
 
The next World Cup event is in Lillehammer, Norway, on December 13-14, the site of Walker’s double gold World Cup victories last season.

Australian bobsleigh star Bree Walker has kicked off the 2025–2026 IBSF World Cup season in style, securing a bronze medal on the newly rebuilt Olympic track in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, the venue for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
 
The medal performance is the 13th career World Cup podium for QAS bobsleigh pilot Walker, giving the 2022 Olympian great confidence ahead of February’s Olympic showdown.
 
The historic Cortina track, which staged the 1956 Olympics, last welcomed a World Cup in 2008. For years, uncertainty surrounded its future, but a rapid redevelopment, finished in just 300 days, has brought the venue back to life just in time for an official International Training Period in mid-November and opening World Cup of the season.
 
Walker opened the competition with a strong first run of 59.85 seconds, placing fifth in a tightly packed field where the top six athletes were separated by just 0.17 seconds. In the decisive second heat, Walker delivered under pressure with the second-fastest time of the final run (59.78), bringing her a two-run combined time of 1:59.63.
 
The battle for silver came down to mere fractions, with Walker finishing 0.01 seconds behind Kaysha Love of the USA. Germany’s Laura Nolte claimed gold, edging Walker by 0.16 seconds.
 
“My coach always says any day I finish on the podium is a good day, so very happy to finish third here for the first race of the season” said the 33-year-old from Queensland.
 
“I love the track here in Cortina, it’s really fun, a few technical corners especially at the top, and then it has a lovely flow down to the bottom, I am really enjoying driving here.
 
“My runs weren’t perfect, I am excited to come back here in February and be able to fix them up and see what happens on the other side.
 
Also in action for Australia was fellow QAS bobsleigh pilot Sarah Blizzard in 23rd place.

In the two-woman event, Walker was joined by another QAS scholar, brakewoman Kiara Reddingius, with the duo finishing in 18th place.
 
Sarah Blizzard was joined by brakewoman Desi Johnson in her World Cup debut, to register 23rd in the two woman sled.
 
The IBSF World Cup tour now moves to Innsbruck, Austria, where the monobob competition is scheduled for November 29, followed by the two-woman event on November 30.

Australian bobsleigh star Bree Walker has completed a ten-day training block on the newly rebuilt Eugenio Monti Sliding Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, the venue for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games sliding events.
 
The historic Cortina track, which staged the 1956 Olympics, last welcomed a World Cup in 2008. For years, uncertainty surrounded its future, but a rapid redevelopment, finished in just 300 days, has brought the venue back to life. Recently homologated by the IBSF and FIL, the track opened for the first time for official Bobsleigh and Skeleton sliding during the International Training Period (ITP) from 7–16 November.
 
Athletes had their first runs on the 1,730-metre course, featuring 16 curves and speeds exceeding 140 km/h. Its technical upper section, flowing rhythm have already drawn praise from competitors.
 
“It’s been super special,” Walker said. “We originally thought that we weren’t going to have a track here in Cortina, so being here these past two weeks has been really exciting for many reasons.”
 
“I love learning new tracks from scratch. It’s such a challenge in the beginning, but when you start to get it, it’s really rewarding.”
 
“The track is really fun! It has a great flow to it. It’s not tricky to get down, but it’s still going to be good fun racing.”
 
“Our preparation is going well. We have worked really hard to learn the track as best as we can for now and I think we have done a great job considering it’s just my coach Pierre and I. So we go into this World Cup week feeling good and ready.”
 
The IBSF World Cup opener returns to Cortina this weekend for the first time in 17 years. Walker will line up in:

• Women’s Monobob on 22 November.
• Two-Woman Bobsleigh with brakewoman Kiara Reddingius on 23 November.

Sarah Blizzard also took part in the ITP, and will compete in both World Cup events in Cortina, teaming up with either Desi Johnson or Ashleigh Werner as her brakewoman for the two-woman.
 
This event marks the start of the final two months of Olympic qualification, which concludes on January 18, 2026.

2022 Olympians Bree Walker and Kiarra Reddingius have finished their competition season placing 13th in the two-woman event at the 2025 IBSF World Championships in Lake, Placid, USA.
 
Walker was impacted by illness for the entire event, the QAS pilot was ninth in monobob during the previous week. Both the two woman and monobob competitions were four-run combined time major championship format over two days.
 
The pair were 14th fastest in run one, two and three, and in the fourth and final run improved to the 11th best time of the round, posting a four-run combined time of 3:50.75 seconds.
 
The event winner 4.75 seconds ahead of Walker and Reddingius and leading a German clean sweep were Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi, their teammates Kim Kalicki and Leonie Fiebig were second and Lisa Buckwitz and Kira Lipperheide third.
 
Australia also competed in the four-man bobsleigh, with pilot Rhys Peters joined by Jermayne Takapautolo, Jack Pennington and Benjamin Forst.
 
Unfortunately in the first run they crashed just after the halfway point, sliding the remainder of the track to the finish line in 24th.
 
The Australian sled did complete the run, so they were eligible for a second run, but it was cancelled due to warm conditions. They did not make the result cut for runs three and four.

2022 Olympian has battled illness to finish in the top-10 in the monobob at the World Championships in Lake Placid, NY, USA, finishing in ninth place.
 
Competing in the four-run combined time major championship format over two days, the QAS bobsleigh pilot was 11th fastest  in run one, seventh in run two, 10th in run three and ninth in the final run to finish in a total time of 3:59.58.
 
The event winner 1.76 seconds ahead of Walker on her home track was Kaysha Love of the USA, Laura Nolte of Germany was second and another American, Elana Meyers-Taylor was third.
 
Walker still holds the track record for Lake Placid set 12 months ago, with no athletes able to improve on the time which saw changing weather conditions throughout the two days of competition.
 
A heartbroken Walker commented after the race.
 
“Certainly not the race I had prepared or planned for all season.
 
“I got extremely sick with a viral infection a day or so out from the race. I thought I would be able to still challenge for what I worked so hard for, but my starts were unfortunately so weak which left me on the back foot from the get-go!
 
“I gave it everything I had and that’s all I could do with the cards I was dealt! Heartbroken but it is what it is.”
 
Walker will now focus on the two-woman World Championship event in Lake Placid alongside brakewoman Kiara Reddingius on March 15 and 16.
 
Others in action in Lake Placid competing for Australia included Nicholas Timmings 20th in the men’s skeleton event and in the two-man bobsleigh, Rhys Peters and Benjamin Frost were 27th & Cam Scott and Patrick Castelli 28th.

Bree Walker has finished the monobob World Cup season in spectacular fashion, winning back-to-back races on the Lillehammer track over the past seven days, and earning her a second place ranking on the final IBSF Monobob World Cup standings for the second consecutive year.
 
The QAS bobsleigh pilot made an impressive start on the 1994 Olympic track in Norway, setting the second fastest push time. This speed at the top together and her driving skills combined to set a new track record, winning the first run in 54.01 seconds, 0.09 second ahead of Canadian Cynthia Appiah.
 
In the final run with the track slowing down, Walker had the last run of the event and was able to maintain her lead with the fourth fastest time in 54.56 seconds, and a combined time of 1:48.51, in first place ahead of Appiah by 0.15, and German Lisa Buckwitz 0.16 behind in third place.
 
The 2022 Olympian now has three World Cup monobob victories and 13 career podiums.
 
“Super happy to go back-to-back here in Lillehammer” said the 32-year-old from Queensland.
 
“It’s a really fun track, I enjoy driving it and so today it was about going out there and executing two clean runs and stoked to come away with the win again.
 
“Feels so great to secure the second place Crystal Globe again, a big goal was to win a crystal globe again, so really happy that my consistency throughout the year has paid off.”
 
Also in action for Australia was fellow Queenslander Sarah Blizzard in 15th place.
 
On the final World Cup standings, Walker is ranked second in the world for the second straight year on 1596 points, trailing Buckwitz by 41, who again won the title. Third on the standings was another German, Laura Nolte on 1555. Sarah Blizzard finished 21st on 523 points.
 
In the two-woman competition, Sarah Blizzard and brakewoman Ashley Werner finished in a personal best finish of 13th. Walker and her brakewoman Kiara Reddingius elected to skip the final two-woman race.
 
The bobsleigh world will now travel to the USA for the mid-March World Championships in Lake Placid, New York. The monobob competition is on March 8-9, and the two-woman event scheduled for March 15-16.

QAS bobsleigh pilot Bree Walker has secured her first World Cup victory of the season and second of her career, with an impressive win in Lillehammer, Norway, sharing the gold medal with American Kaysha Love in a dead heat, the first tie in monobob World Cup history.
 
Walker opened with a time of 54.56 seconds in the first heat, recording the second fastest time of the round, trailing 2022 Olympic champion Laura Nolte of Germany by only 0.01 seconds.
 
In the final run, Walker again posted the second fastest time in 54.58 seconds, giving her a combined time of 1:49.14, to equal American Kaysha Love. Nolte, the last competitor down the 1994 Olympic track, was unable to surpass Walker and Love, slipping 0.07 seconds behind in third place.
 
The 2022 Olympian now has 11 career monobob World Cup podiums.
 
“Really happy to be able to secure my first win of the season after being so close a few times” said the 32-year-old from Queensland.
 
“I really love sliding here, I was feeling really good coming into this race, but I knew it would be a very competitive race as always, so I just went out there and focused on pushing really fast and driving well and was able to come away with the win so very happy with that.”
 
“Lillehammer is a special place for me, I came away with my first career bobsleigh medals in European Cup races in the 2018-2019 season, and to also secure my second World Cup medal on this track after a silver last season, I really love the track and I enjoy sliding here.
 
“We are going into tomorrow’s two-woman race with the same expectations I had today, to push hard and put down two consistent drives, and see what the results are on the other side.”
 
Fellow QAS pilot Sarah Blizzard finished in 22nd place.
 
The win sees Walker move back into second place on the monobob World Cup standings on 1371 points, trailing Lisa Buckwitz of Germany on 1437 points, with Nolte third on 1371.
 
Crash for Walker & Reddingius in two-woman
 
In the two-woman event, unfortunately 2022 Olympians Bree Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius suffer a bad crash near the end of the track, sliding the last section to the finish line on their side.

The Australia number one sled was fifth fastest off the start and was placed top 10 by the intermediate times just before crashing on the lower track. 
 
The fall resulted in the pair finishing in 21st place and missing the top-20 cut for the second run.
 
Sarah Blizzard and Ashley Werner were also in action for Australia finishing in 20th.
 
The final monobob and two-woman World Cup race of the season is scheduled on the same track in Norway next weekend on February 15-16.

QAS bobsleigh pilot Bree Walker has claimed her third World Cup podium result of the season and tenth of her career, with a silver medal performance in the monobob World Cup event on the iconic hand cut ice St Moritz track in Switzerland.
 
In the first of two World Cup events in St Moritz, the 2022 Olympian made the perfect start, having the second fastest opening run time of 1:11.28 seconds.
 
Walker then went faster in the final run, breaking the track record in a time of 1:10.48 seconds to put her in first place with one competitor left. Her combined two run time was 2:21.76 seconds.
 
First run leader Elana Meyers Taylor from America then broke Walker’s record in the last run of the day to take victory in a combined time of 2:21.52, 0.24 seconds ahead of Walker. Rounding out the podium in third was another USA athlete, Kaysha Love, a further 0.31 seconds behind Walker.
 
“Super happy with my runs today, it’s really come along the last few weeks” said the 32-year-old from Queensland.
 
“This track has been a bit of a challenge for me in the past, but my coach Pierre Lueders has taught me all his ways over the past few years, and I am just so stoked with the result today. The goal was to drive the best that I can, and it’s paid off, so I am really happy with how I executed.
 
“Plan for tomorrow is to go again and do the same, tidy up a few little things that I noticed today, and then gear up for the two-woman with brakewoman Kiara Reddingius on Sunday.”
 
“I am so grateful to have so much support from all around the world, so thankyou to our supporters and sponsors for everything you have done for us.
 
St Moritz Monobob Day Two
 
In the second monobob World Cup, Walker finished in eighth place, in a two-run time of 2:22.83 seconds, 0.68 behind back-to-back winner in St Moritz Elana Meyers Taylor of the USA.
 
Sarah Blizzard also competed in St Mortiz, the QAS pilot was in 24th place on day one and improved to finish 21st on day two.
 
After six events Walker is third on the monobob World Cup standings on 1146 points, trailing German’s Lisa Buckwitz on 1253 and Laura Nolte 1171.
 
A two-woman World Cup event was also scheduled to take place in St Moritz, but was cancelled due to warm weather, after temperatures did not reach the necessary below zero margin overnight for the natural ice track to freeze.

QAS bobsleigh pilot has finished in fourth place in the World Cup monobob event on the Igls track at Innsbruck, Austria, missing the podium by just 0.18 seconds.
 
The 2022 Olympian had the third fastest opening run in 54.27 seconds, and in the second run had the fourth best time in 54.42.
 
Her two-tun combined time was 1:48.69, putting Walker 0.28 seconds behind event winner Lisa Buckwitz of Germany, American Kaysha Love was second and German Laura Nolte third.
 
Fellow QAS pilot Sarah Blizzard finished 23rd.
 
After four monobob World Cup events this season, Walker is ranked third on the standings, and Blizzard is in 17th.
 
A two-woman event also took place in Innsbruck, with Walker teaming up with brakewoman Kiara Reddingius, finishing in 11th place. Sarah Blizzard and brakewoman Ashleigh Werner were 21st.
 
Germany clean swept the two-woman podium with Laura Nolte/Deborah Levi first, Kim Kalicki/Leonie Fiebig second, and Lisa Buckwitz/Neele Schuten third.
 
After the race Walker commented.
 
“Always love sliding in Igls, very tight racing and no room for errors which makes for an exciting weekend.”
 
“Of course I would have loved to finish on the podium in the monobob, but it didn’t quite come together in the last run so had to settle for fourth.
 
“The two-man didn’t really come together either. Still learning our new sled and trying new things. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes you learn, so we will take the learnings and apply it for the coming races.”
 
The IBSF tour is returning back to St Moritz, Switzerland, for a second time in as many weeks, with three events taking place on the historic handcut ice Cresta Run. The first monobob race will run on January 24, a second monobob on January 25 and the two-woman on January 26.

2022 Olympians Bree Walker and Kiarra Reddingius have finished in eighth place in the two-woman event on the historic St Moritz hand cut ice track in Switzerland.
 
Warm weather impacted the week, forcing the monobob to be rescheduled for later in January, leaving the female athletes to only contest the two-woman event in St Moritz.
 
In the first run, the pair were looking at a top-five run, but Walker’s helmet visor unfortunately fogged up as the run went on making driving difficult, finishing with the tenth fastest time in 1:09.66 seconds.  
 
Walker and Reddingius improved in the second run, recording the eighth fastest time in 1:08.69 seconds, which moved them up into eighth on the final rankings in a two-run combined time of 2:18.35 seconds.
 
“In the first run I couldn’t see most of the way down, so couldn’t do much more than feel my way down the track“ said the QAS bobsleigh pilot.
 
“The second run was much better, so a solid result after a very interrupted week of training.”

Fellow QAS pilot Sarah Blizzard and brakewoman Hayley Silvester just missed the cut for the second run placing 23rd after a run one time of 1.11.69. 
 
The IBSF World Cup tour now heads to Innsbruck Austria, where Walker, Reddingius and Blizzard will compete in the monobob on January 18 and two-woman on January 19.

Bree Walker has claimed Australia’s first winter sports World Cup medal of 2025, with a bronze medal performance in the World Cup monobob event in Winterberg, Germany, in a spectacular day of competition which saw a number of track records fall in the final run.
 
The podium finish is the second straight for the QAS bobsleigh pilot, and the ninth of her World Cup career.
 
Walker was third after the first run with a time of 58.67 seconds, then was faster in the second run, momentarily holding the track record in a time of 58.44 seconds. and a two-run combined time of 1:57.11 seconds.
 
The final two athletes also broke the track record, German Lisa Buckwitz won with a combined time of 1:56.83, 0.28 seconds ahead of Walker while Swiss pilot Melanie Hasler of Switzerland finished second in 1:56.92.
 
“I’m super happy with the result here in Winterberg, I love sliding here, it’s actually my first podium here since the 2022 Olympic season” said the 32-year-old from Queensland.
 
“Really happy with my drives today, the first corner is cut a little bit differently this year so it makes it tricky and slipped me up a little bit, but I can’t be happier, my pushing is coming along really nicely and my drives were solid, so all-in-all a good day.
 
“The track was in good condition, and it’s really cold here, so that is perfect conditions for track records to be broken. It makes for fun racing when you know the record is being broken again-and-again, you know you’re up for a fast run.
 
“I’m looking forward to my first World Cup two-woman event of the season tomorrow with Kiara Reddingius in our new sled.”
 
Also in action for Australia was Sarah Blizzard in 22nd place.
 
After three World Cup monobob events this season, Walker is ranked third on the standings on 584 points, trailing German duo Lisa Buckwitz in first on 660 and Laura Nolte second with 619.

2022 Olympians Bree Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius have raced in the two-woman bobsleigh event for the first time this northern winter, finishing with a gold and silver medal performance in the Europe Cup competition in Innsbruck, Austria.
 
Bobsleigh pilot Walker has been focused on the monobob World Cup events in the early season, allowing the pair to prepared for up for the upcoming two-woman World Cups in the best possible way on the Europe Cup circuit, taking a second-place finish on day one and the one place better claiming victory on day two..
 
On day one Walker and Rdddingius won the opening run, then the third fastest second run and finishing in a two-run time of 1:46.07, just 0.03 seconds behind event winners Charlotte Candrix and Lena Brunnhübner of Germany. Rounding out the podium in third was Maureen Zimmer and Lena Neunecker also German, 0.21 seconds behind first place.
 
In the second event, Walker and Rdddingius won both runs to take the gold medal in a two-run time of 1:46.79, 0.24 seconds ahead of Linda Weiszewski and Klaudia Adamek of Poland. Germany’s  Charlotte Candrix and Lena Brunnhübner were  third 0.25 seconds off first place.
 
Also competing in Innsbruck was Sarah Blizzard who finished 15th in the monobob, and teamed up with brakewoman Hayley Silvester in the two-woman event to finish 16th on day one.
 
The first World Cup event of 2025 is in Winterberg, Germany, on January 4-5.

At the IBSF monobob World Cup competition in Sigulda, Latvia, Bree Walker finished in third place, giving the 2022 Olympian her first podium of the season and eighth of her career.
 
The QAS athlete had a great first run with the second fastest time of the round in 53.32 seconds, just 0.1 seconds behind first place.
 
In the second and final run, Walker had the fourth fastest time in 53.83 seconds, and a two-run combined time of 1:47.15 putting her in third place, 0.26 seconds behind race winner Lisa Buckwitz of Germany, with Laura Nolte also of Germany second, 0.17 ahead of Walker.

The medal performance was Walker’s first on the Sigulda track and has her ranked third on the World Cup standings after two events.
 
“I was really happy with today, always a win when we are on the podium but especially here, as I really have a love hate relationship with this track, so it’s very satisfying and a nice way to end the first half of the World Cup season” said the 32-year-old from Queensland.
 
“I am so grateful for all the hard work my team has put in this week to help me win this medal. You really have to work hard to get it right at this place and everyone came together like a well-oiled machine. I am excited to take this momentum into the second half of the season.”
 
Sarah Blizzard finished in 17th place in her second monobob World Cup start .

The bobsleigh World Cup tour will resume in the new year in Winterberg, Germany, on January 4-5.

The IBSF World Cup season commenced over the weekend in Altenberg, Germany, with Bree Walker making a great start with a top-five finishing in the monobob.

The 2022 Olympian made a great start to the event on the difficult Altenberg track with the fastest time of all competitors in the first run in 59.47 seconds.

Making it even more impressive, was Walker had the tenth fastest start time, but then showed her impressive driving skills to work her way to the fastest time of the round.

In the second run, the third last competitor Elana Meyers Taylor of America had a fall which resulted in a delay which slowed the track down for the final two competitors and leaders from the first run, Debora Annen of Switzerland and finally Walker.

Walker finished her second run in a time of 1:01.13 seconds, which was the seventh fastest of the round, pushing her back to fifth place with a two run total of 2:00.60 seconds.

Taking the win 0.66 seconds ahead of Walker was Laura Nolte of Germany, with her teammate Lisa Buckwitz in second and Andreaa Grecu of Romania in third.

Walker reflected on her performance after the race.

“The fifth is a solid place to start the season. Unlucky to have a crash and a track hold in the snow before my second heat but I accept that can happen in bobsleigh sometimes.

“All in all I am m happy with my drives and how I performed, especially here in Altenberg, it sure has been a journey for me here. Ready to build on that this season.”

Sarah Blizzard made her World Cup monobob and two-woman World Cup driving debut, finishing in 21^st place in the monobob, and 17th in the two-woman with brakewoman Ashleigh Werner.

Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius elected to not compete in the first two-woman bobsleigh events of the season, but will commence their season together in the first event of the new year in Winterberg, Germany.

Next weekend the IBSF tour moves to Sigulda, Latvia, for the next round of World Cup competition.

Bobsleigh pilot Bree Walker has finished the monobob season in the best possible way, recording Australia’s first ever bobsleigh World Cup gold medal in Lake Placid, USA, giving Walker her fifth World Cup medal of the season and a career best end of season ranking.

Walker started with an incredible first run, setting a new track record for Lake Placid in 59.22 seconds, which was well over a second faster than the old record.

In the final run, Walker was the final competitor of the event as the leader from the first round, and performed superbly under pressure to again record the fastest time in 59.45 seconds, to secure her first ever World Cup victory with a two-run time of 1:58.67 seconds.

American Elana Meyers Taylor on her home track finished second 0.24 seconds behind Walker, with Cynthia Appiah of Canada 0.46 seconds back in third.

“It feels amazing, I came into this week knowing that I can be competitive and to come away with a win is the best possible way I could end the monobob season, I am so happy” said the 31-year-old Olympian from Queensland.

“Heading into the second run I knew I had to execute what I did in the first run. When I crossed the line I couldn’t even see the time or know where I had finished, but I knew it was a good run and I would be in the medals, but even better that it’s the win.”

The victory also saw Walker move into second place on the final World Cup monobob standings with 1549 points, her best end of season ranking.

First on the standings was 2024 World Champion Lisa Buckwitz of Germany on 1644 points with her teammate and 2022 Olympic gold medallist Laura Nolte in third on 1547.

The final World Cup event of the season takes place in Lake Placid tomorrow, where brakewoman Kiarra Reddingius will join Walker in the two-woman event.

Lake Placid will host the 2025 Bobsleigh World Championships next year ahead of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, now less than two years away.