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.
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.
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