Third World Cup medal of memorable season for British Skeleton as Craig Thompson secures superb silver in Igls ahead of World Champs
Craig Thompson won a superb silver medal in Igls, Austria on Friday as British Skeleton athletes who train at the University of Bath finished an impressive 2020-21 IBSF World Cup season on a suitably high note.
All six of the men and women competing placed inside the top 11, with Thompson’s medal being one of two personal best World Cup finishes as the British squad showed good form ahead of next month’s World Championships.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Thompson, who was the third Brit to win a medal on the men’s circuit this season following bronze and silver respectively before Christmas for Marcus Wyatt and Matt Weston.
“I watched Marcus and Matt win medals earlier this season and I knew I was capable of matching them so it’s great to have done that. There is nothing like standing on the podium knowing the hard work is paying off.
“It shows what I’m capable of and it’s obviously a big boost ahead of the World Championships next month.
“It’s been a really good season so far, for the team as well as me personally. I’m not the sort of person who gets carried away and I know there is loads more work ahead but things are starting to look good for the Beijing Olympics in a year’s time and that’s the big aim.”
Wyatt finished fifth in Igls, his sixth top-eight placing this season, and Weston was 11th overall.
Britain’s fine form continued in the women’s race in the afternoon as Brogan Crowley secured a fantastic fifth-placed finish – four places better than the previous World Cup personal best she had set last week.
Olympic medallist Laura Deas was eighth and Ashleigh Pittaway was tenth, just six days after winning bronze at the Junior World Championships.
Next up for GB’s sliders is the World Championships in Atenberg, Germany on February 11 and 12, while the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games are now just one year and one week away.
The British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association are based at the University of Bath, with their athletes using the Team Bath Sports Training Village – including the UK’s only push-start track – for their home training. Visit www.teambath.com/bobsleigh and www.teambath.com/skeleton to find out more.
