Seventh for Deas in Germany
Laura Deas finished seventh on her first World Cup skeleton appearance of the season in Winterberg on Friday afternoon.
The Olympic bonze medallist clocked a combined time of 1 minute 56.49 seconds in Germany to miss out on a wider podium place by eight hundredths of a second.
Deas, who was absent from last week’s opener in Sigulda, was the sixth quickest starter in Run 1 and the fourth fastest in Run 2 (5.35 seconds in both), finishing 63 hundredths of a second outside the medals.
Madelaine Smith was the second-placed Brit in the second World Cup competition of the eight-race season as she placed 14th, 45 hundredths back from team-mate Deas.
Smith posted start times of 5.48 (13th) and 5.44 (9th) and overall runs of 58.53 and 58.41 in what was just her fifth World Cup appearance following her debut last term.
Kim Murray was two spots further back in 16th, having placed 13th on her World Cup debut in Latvia five days’ ago.
Murray, who won Europa Cup gold on the same track last month, recorded runs of 58.63 and 58.41 to finish a tenth of a second behind Smith in a 20-strong field.
Home favourite Jacqueline Loelling won gold by an impressive 0.67 seconds from compatriot Tina Hermann, with Austria’s Janine Flock - the slider Deas pipped to an Olympic medal - claiming bronze.
The skeleton circuit now takes a break for the festive season, with World Cup action next on the agenda in Altenberg on January 4th.
In the men’s race earlier in the day, Marcus Wyatt finished 10th, Jerry Rice 15th and Jack Thomas 23rd. For a full race report, click here
