Fernstädt was already successful in Latvia in the first race on Thursday, in which she was fourth. Today, the reigning bronze medalist from the World Championships improved her position even more. She was only eight hundredths of a second short of the Belgian Kim Meylemans, who celebrated a winning double in Sigulda.
“The race was good, I’m satisfied. Yesterday I set a personal record, today it was more tiring at the start. But apart from the first run yesterday, in which I made a big mistake, I had four constant runs, which I’m very happy about. We took it as a kind of test for the Olympics,” Fernstädtová said in a recording for the media, alluding to the fact that four races are run in two days at the Olympics and World Championships.
Meylemans rose to first place from fourth place after the first lap, in which Fernstädt set the third time. After her second run, the native of Prague was in second place behind the Belgian, and it was clear that she would at least repeat Thursday’s ranking. However, the fastest women in the first round, Kimberley Bosová from the Netherlands and Janine Flocková from Austria, did not succeed in the second run and dropped from the medal positions. Britain’s Amelia Coltman finished third, six hundredths of a second behind Fernstädt.
“After the first run I thought, ok, just keep it up. And then I thought, damn, fourth again. But it worked out in the end, so great. Both runs were good,” said Fernstädt. She is looking forward to the Christmas holidays, which will be followed by the race in Winterberg, where she also took second place this January. “I know it went very well there last time, but it’s still a track that’s not my favorite. The break is short, I’d rather enjoy more time at home, but there’s nothing I can do. I’m looking forward to the second half of the World Cup,” she said.
In the SP, Fernstädtová has three second places and two third places in individual races. For the first time today, she reached the podium somewhere other than in Germany, which she represented until 2018. In the order of the series, the Czech medal hope for the February Olympic Games in Italy moved to fifth position.
Her cousin Timon Drahoňovský took the 31st position in the men’s race and remained at the gates of the second round.
SP in skeleton riding in Sigulda (Latvia):
Men: 1. Weston 1:40.35 (49.81+50.54), 2. Wyatt (both Brit.) -0.82 (50.71+50.46), 3. Keisinger (German) -0.85 (50.82+50.38), …31. Drahonovsky (Czech Republic) 52.79. Current order of the SP (after 3 out of 7 races): 1. Weston 675, 2. Cheng Jin (China) 568, 3. Maier (Austria) 562, …32. Drahonovsky 46.
Women: 1. Meylemansová (Belg.) 1:44.16 (51.80+52.36), 2. Fernstädtová (Czech Republic) -0.08 (51.73+52.51), 3. Coltmanová (Britain) -0.14 (51.87+52.43). Pstandings of the SP (after 4 out of 7 races): 1. Meylemansová 850, 2. Flocková (Austria) 809, 3. Pfeiferová (Germany) 745, …5. Fernstädtová 714.
