​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.” 

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 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.

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.

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 and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius have achieved the best ever result for Australia in the two-woman or two-man event at an IBSF World Championships, with a remarkable fifth place finish in Winterberg, Germany.

The performance is the second top-5 for Walker at the World Championships, after the 31 year old finished in fourth place in the monobob last weekend. The result smashes her previous best 14th place finish, in her only other two-woman World Championship start in 2020.

Walker and Reddingius put down four competitive runs over two days of racing on the Winterberg track, to finish in a total time of 3:45.43 seconds, 1.44 seconds behind the eventual winner.

It was a German clean sweep of the podium on their home track, with Team Buckwitz winning gold, ahead of Team Nolte in silver and Team Kalicki with the bronze.

"The week was really good, training went well and we changed our sled setup and it just fit perfectly", said Walker.

"After the monobob I just had to reset and go again, and I could sense that Kiara was really excited for this week, and training was going well so we took that energy into the race and I am so happy with the result here. We were really consistent in our pushing at the start, and also in my driving, so I am over the moon."

"It was a whirlwind when we first started sliding together, and we jelled really quickly. From that point on we knew we could be a good team, it was just a matter of time doing more training and racing together."

I always knew I could be competitive in the two-woman as well as the monobob, I just needed to find my girl to help me do that, and I feel Kiarra is as competitive as I am, and it's so exciting to have a teammate who believes that we can be competitive with the best in the world."

Reddingius also commented after the race.

"I am really proud of us this season, our aim was consistency and we have nailed that at nearly every single race, especially here over four heats, it shows we can stay up there with the best in the world."

"This is our first season as a full team the whole time, so we will only go up from here."

Also competing for Australia was Sarah Blizzard and Desi Johnson who finished in 21st place, in their first two-woman World Championship race together.

The final round of World Cup competition will take place in Lake Placid, NY, USA on March 22-23. Walker is currently ranked fourth on the monobob standings, and could finish as high as second with a strong performance.

Bree Walker has come agonisingly close to a medal at the IBSF World Championships in Winterberg, Germany, missing the podium by just 0.07 seconds.

The fourth place result matches her previous best finish at a World Championships, where she had the same result last year in St Moritz, Switzerland, which is again the best ever result by an Australian bobsleigh athlete at a World Championships.

In the four run championship format, the QAS athlete performed well in her first three runs, highlighted by an exceptional third run where she had the second fastest run of the round.

Heading into the final run ranked second overall, Walker unfortunately had a mistake halfway down the run which made it difficult to recover enough speed to make the podium, and registered the seventh fastest time of the final run.
Walker finished with a four run combined time of 3:55.07 seconds, with the victory going to Laura Nolte of Germany in 3:54.77, Elana Meyers Taylor of the USA was second in 3:54.95 and German Lisa Buckwitz rounded out the podium in third with 3:55.00.

Also in action for Australia making her World Championship debut was Sarah Blizzard, who finished in 23rd place.

“It was a really tight race, and I knew it was going to be really tough and I was ready for that,” said the 31-year-old Olympian from Cairns.

“We did absolutely everything possible and left nothing to chance, I know how to execute a medal winning performance, so I just had to go out and do that, and unfortunately I just missed it, it hasn’t quite set in, but I am pretty heartbroken.”

“I made a mistake in that final run in a really important spot, and it cascaded down. You can’t make a mistake with these girls, everyone is driving so well and I ultimately paid the price and dropped to fourth.”

“My team is amazing, my coach goes above and beyond and I can’t thank Pierre (Lueders) enough for everything that he is teaching me, he is doing such a fantastic job coaching and running our team, it’s so professional.”

Next weekend sees the two-woman bobsleigh World Championship event take place at Winterberg on March 2-3, with Walker to be joined by brakewoman Kiara Reddingius. Sarah Blizzard will also be competing together with her brakewoman Desi Johnson.

“We have the two-woman coming up, and I am excited to get in and get going with that. The goal is to execute a really good race, the last time I competed in that event at the World Championships was in 2020 in Altenberg at my first World Championships, so I am excited to get in the sled and do that with Kiara next week.”

2022 Olympian Bree Walker has completed her 2022-2023 international competition season in style, with podium performances in the Europe Cup two-woman events with brakewoman Sarah Blizzard in Winterberg, Germany.

In the first event, Walker and Blizzard finished in a time of 58.87, putting them in second place, just 0.1 seconds behind event winners Margot Boch and Carla Senechal of France.

Later that day the QAS slider and Blizzard competed in the second race on the Winterberg track, this time finishing with a time of 58.51 seconds, 0.32 seconds behind Boch who won both events.

Blizzard also competed in the monobob, piloting herself to a seventh place finish.

It was another successful season for Walker, highlighted by:

Monobob

• Two World Cup podium's (Silver and Bronze)
• Fourth place at the World Championships
• Three Europe Cup gold medals

Two-Woman - Bree Walker & Sarah Blizzard

• Personal best fifth place World Cup finish
  
• Two Europe Cup podiums in Winterberg
  

Sarah Blizzard has recorded Australia's best ever result at an International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation Junior World Championships with a fourth place finish in the monobob in Winterberg, Germany.

Blizzard made a great start, with the second fastest time in run one with a time of 1:00.15 seconds. In her second run she finished in a time of 1:01.17 seconds, giving her a two-run combined time of 2:01.32 in fourth place, just missing the podium by 0.11 seconds, and 1.48 seconds behind event winner Maureen Zimmer of Germany.

To come away with Australia’s best ever result in this event in only my first year of driving is definitely something I’m proud of," said Blizzard.

"Thank you to all those who made this happen, you know who you are."

Blizzard will now rejoin Bree Walker in the two-woman bobsleigh World Cup in Altenberg next weekend.

Jackie Narracott has taken part in her first event of 2023, with a 13th place finish in Altenberg, Austria.

The result is a PB finish for Naracott on the difficult Altenberg track, improving on her previous best of 15th in 2021 and 2019.

After recording the 18th fastest time in run one completing the track in 59.88 seconds, the three-time QAS Olympian improved in un two to record the 11th fastest time of the round in 59.24 seconds.

Narracott's two run combined time of 1:59.12 put her in 13th place, 2.89 seconds behind event winner Tina Hermann of Germany.

The skeleton athletes will be back in action next weekend for an extra event in Altenberg on January 20.

Competing in her first World Cup events of the season, Bree Walker has made an impressive start with top-five finishes in both the monobob and two-woman events in Winterberg, Germany.

Whilst the World Cup tour commenced in North America, Walker had elected to base herself in Europe to start her Northern Winter campaign, competing on the European Cup circuit, winning gold in her three event starts.

Joining Walker in the two-woman was brakewoman Sarah Blizzard, who has also been focusing on monobob racing to start the northern winter, with the pair having limited time in the sled together ahead of this week's World Cup competition.

The pair made a great start with the fifth fastest time on the Winterberg track, just 0.63 seconds behind first place.

In the second run they had the ninth fastest time, just .02 seconds off their first run time, with a time run time of 1:55.04, 1.30 seconds behind first place in fifth overall, two places better than Walker's previous best result of seventh with brakewoman Kiara Reddingius on the same track in November 2021.

German sleds took out all of the places on the podium on their home track, with Nolte/Schuten in first place, Buckwitz/Lipperheide in second and Kalicki/Fiebig in third.

"We are over the moon with the fifth place" said Walker the 2022 Olympian.

"It was our first runs in two-man together this week, so we really didn’t know what to expect. To achieve Australia’s best two-man result today is just a great feeling."

"This result has been a long time coming for Sarah and I, we have been sliding together for many years now and finally it all came together today. Very happy and proud to get this result with her."

"We have been through thick and thin together, so it’s the best feeling to start this two-man season on a high. More to come for sure."

Earlier in Winterberg, Walker narrowly missed the podium by just 0.07 seconds in the monobob.

In such close racing, a small mistake in the middle section in the first run was to keep her off the podium, with the QAS athlete finishing in fifth, 0.26 seconds behind event winner Laura Nolte of Germany.

"Would of loved to be back on the podium in the monobob, but it wasn’t meant to be this weekend.

"We will build on this fifth place over the next few weeks, my new coach and I have been trying out a few new things so it’s just a matter of piecing the puzzle together."

Walker and Blizzard will now head to Altenberg, for the next round of the World Cup tour, with 2022 Olympic Silver Medallist Jackie Narracott competing in the skeleton.

QAS Bobsleigh pilot Bree Walker has won her third straight Europe Cup monobob event to start the season, this time in Innsbruck, Austria.

Unfortunately in the second race Walker injured her hamstring in the push on the first heat, and withdrew from heat number two.

Despite picking up the injury, Walker still won the first heat, with her time a new track record.

Sarah Blizzard also continued to improve in her first season competing in monobob, finishing eighth on day one and just missing the podium in fourth on day two.

QAS Bobsleigh pilot Bree Walker has made a great start to her northern hemisphere competition campaign with a double victory in the Europe Cup monobob events in Altenberg, Germany.

Walker commented after the race and a successful competition experience at her historically most challenging track.

"That one was special."

"If anyone knows my history on Altenberg, you would understand what it meant to just make it down this week on all four runners, let alone to walk away with the double win."

Sarah Blizzard also piloted her first monobob races, with a 12th place on day one, and tenth on day two.

The next stop on the Europe Cup circuit will be in Innsbruck Austria, on December 8-9.

Bree Walker has made a strong start at the opening Woman's Monobob World Series event in Innsbruck, Austria, narrowly missing the podium in sixth place.

In a tight race, after two runs just 0.25 seconds separated Walker from event winner Elana Meyers Taylor of the USA, and just 0.11 from claiming the bronze medal.
 
Rounding out the podium was Meyers Taylor teammate Kallie Humphries in second place with German Laura Nolte in third.
 
"I'm very happy to start the season off with a top six place," said the 29-year-old Walker.

"Of course we always look for the podium but this is a very different year.

"No-one is messing around and you can see that by how tight the field is but it makes for really fun racing.


Ashley Werner also made her debut in a Monobob World Series event, finishing in 19th place.
 
Both athletes are aiming to compete for Australia when Monobob makes its debut at the Beijing Olympic Winter Games in February.
 
Werner and breakwoman Kiara Reddingius also made their World Cup debut in the two-woman bobsleigh event, finishing the highest placed  Australians in 19th, with Walker and her breakwoman Sarah Blizzard just behind in 22nd.
 
The Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup tour will remain in Innsbruck for one more week, with additional weekend of competition next weekend..

IMAGE: ©Rekords/IBSF

The two-woman Bobsleigh team of QAS pilot Bree Walker and breakwoman Sarah Blizzard have been unable to compete in the opening event of the IBSF World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, after two crashes in training.

Walker posted on social medial the decision to withdraw from the two-woman event.

"I’m never one to give up, I always find a way to make it happen. Our team is always the ones that get back up, get back in and goes again. But as I have grown as an athlete I have also learnt when pushing through could do more harm then good.
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"In preparation for the 2021 World Championship in Altenberg, Sarah and I had two rough crashes that left us feeling pretty beat up.

"This track demands respect and with not having a spare teammate and the way we were feeling we had to weigh up whether competing this weekend would bring us the results we knew we were capable of.
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"So it is with a heavy heart, we have decided not to race in the two-man event this weekend. We had to think about our own health as we still have a lot that we want to achieve in the next year leading towards the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. Good luck to everyone who is competing this weekend and we will see you back next week for the Monobob event."
 
Walker will be back in action competing in the Monobob event at the World Championships later this week on February 13-14.

Walker is the equal world number one in Monobob after the last event in Austria, and the QAS athlete will be back in action competing at the World Championships in that event later this week on February 13-14.
 
IMAGE: Bree Walker and Sarah Blizzard in Winterberg earlier in the season © IBSF / Viesturs Lacis

Bree Walker has continued her great form in the monobob event, taking gold in the World Series event in Innsbruck, Austria, and moving into equal first place on the world standings.

The QAS athlete defended her victory from earlier in the season in Innsbruck, making it one of her favorite tracks for competition. Walker has now competed in eleven monobob events, emerging victorious an impressive seven times in the new Olympic event which will debut in Beijing 2022.

Walker also set both a new start and track record during the first run in Innsbruck.
 
The result will no doubt give Walker plenty of confidence heading into the 2021 World Championships, which will take place in Altenberg, Germany in mid February.

Finishing in second place 0.23 seconds behind Walker was American Elana Meyers Taylor, with Melissa Lotholz from Canada 0.38 seconds in third place.
 
“We are still trying to work out the new monobob sleds, but it seems we have worked it out here,” Walker said after the race.
 
“I’m over the moon to come back here and defend my win from earlier in the season in a much stronger field this time.”
 
“I knew my process well here, so I just stuck to the plan and it paid off.”
 
“I’m excited to compete in my second world championships in Altenberg, so will focus on working out my process there and executing it to the best of my ability.”
 
Walker teamed up with breakwoman Sarah Blizzard. the following day to compete in the two two-woman bobsleigh World Cup.

The pair finished in 13th place, 0.83 seconds behind the event winners from America Kaillie Humphries and Lolo Jones.

Walker and Blizzard will now prepare for the 2021 World Championships, which will take place in Altenberg Germany. The World Championships open with the two woman bobsleigh on February 5-6 with monobob scheduled to take place on February 13-14.
 
IMAGE: Bree Walker celebrates victory in Innsbruck  © IBSF / Viesturs Lacis

QAS athlete Bree Walker has competed in two events at the World Cup in Königssee, Germany, with a ninth place finish in the Monobob and 12th in the two-woman bobsleigh.

In the monobob event, Walker was in 12th place after the first run, but had a much improved second run to record the seventh fastest time of the round.

Interestingly and very promising for future improvement was that Walker was in the four fastest starters on both runs.

This gave Walker and overall placing of ninth, 1.25 seconds behind the event winner Kaillie Humphries of the USA. Rounding out the podium was Humphries American teammate Elana Meyers Taylor in second with German Stephanie Schneider in third.

On Sunday Walker teamed up with breakwoman Sarah Blizzard in the two-woman event, finishing in 12th place,

The pair were sitting in ninth place after the first run, and had the 13th fastest second run, finishing 1.09 seconds behind event winners from Germany Kim Kalicki and Ann-Christin Strack.

In second place was the German team of Stephanie Schneider/Leonie Fiebig, with Americans Elana Meyers Taylor/Sylvia Hoffman in third.

The World Cup tour will now head to Innsbruck, Austria, for a monobob event on January 30 and bobsleigh on January 31.
 
IMAGE: Bree Walker and Sarah Blizzard last week in St Moritz © physioelite_usa