World Cup Women’s Skeleton run 1

These photos were taken during the first heat of the women’s skeleton race at the BMW IBSF World Cup at Lake Placid on November 9, 2017. All except the first were taken from the spectator side of the finish area; I missed the first competitor down the track, Ashleigh Fay Pittaway (GBR) while walking up to the finish. Start order was determined according to World Cup points totals, so the best athletes get the preferred start positions from 6th onward. The twenty fastest competitors made the cut into the second run.

Some of the competitors’ helmets and sleds have artwork on them, but others’ are simply blank or are used for advertising. I’ve tried to show some examples of each. The first photo shows one of the four forerunners, whose job is to make sure that the track is ready, after overnight maintenance, for the actual competitors; they start several minutes before the official race start, which for this race was 8:34 AM. (Skeleton races are always held first on a competition day because the heavier bobsleds tear up the ice, particularly in the finish area when braking.)

Skeleton forerunner passing the remote camera position

Maya Pedersen (NOR)
26th place in run 1

Takako Oguchi (JPN)
19th place in run 1

Laura Deas (GBR)
8th place in run 1

Lelde Priedulena (LAT)
10th place in run 1

Lelde Priedulena (LAT)

British and German teams watch the next slider coming down the track

Janine Flock (AUT) 
1st place in run 1

Janine Flock (AUT)

Kimberley Bos (NED)
15th place in run 1

Kimberley Bos (NED)

Jacqueline Loelling (GER)
4th place in run 1

Jacqueline Loelling (GER)

Jacqueline Loelling (GER) wears the yellow bib of the World Cup points leader (since this is the first race of the season, based on last year’s results)