IGLS, Austria (November 19, 2021) –In only her second-career World Cup race and her first race ever on the Austrian track, Kelly Curtis (Princeton, N.J.) led the U.S. with a ninth place finish in the women’s skeleton World Cup opener this morning. Megan Henry (Roxbury, Conn.) was two-hundredths of a second off her teammate in 10th, and Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.) finished 16th.

“I was really happy for the opportunity to be out here and to see how much I’ve progressed over the week,” Curtis said. “I’m just trying to minimize mistakes so I can get better each day.”

Curtis is the reigning Intercontinental Cup champion, and she is racing in her first season as a World Cup athlete. She powered off the block in 5.42 seconds for the ninth fastest downtime of 54.34 seconds in the first heat. Despite a lot of shuffling in rank in the second run by various athletes, Curtis remained poised. She posted a nearly identical start time of 5.43 seconds for a downtime of 54.13 seconds to solidify her ninth place finish with a combined time of 1:48.47.

“Of course everyone knows what the end goal is in February,” Curtis said. “I’m trying to break it into manageable pieces, take it day by day and put something respectable together on race day each week.”

Henry matched Curtis’ start time in the first heat and was tied with China’s Dan Zhao for 12th with a run of 54.36 seconds. The American powered off the block with a start time of 5.34 seconds in the final heat, and she navigated to the finish in 54.13 seconds. Henry moved up two spots into 10th with a two-run total of 1:48.49. Henry’s only World Cup entry in Igls before today was in January 2020, when she earned the bronze medal. 

Both Curtis and Henry are members of the military. Curtis serves with the U.S. Air Force, and Henry is a member of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.

Four-time Olympian Uhlaender clocked start times of 5.46 and 5.49 seconds for runs of 54.40 and 54.55 seconds, respectively. She finished 16th with a cumulative time of 1:48.95.

Russian Elena Nikitina moved up in the second heat to take over the lead with a combined time of 1:47.49. She posted the fastest start time of the field, a 5.11, in the second heat. Kimberly Bos from the Netherlands claimed the silver medal with a total time of 1:47.59, and Kim Meylemans from Belgium earned bronze in 1:47.62. This was Meylemans first career World Cup medal finish.

The World Cup resumes in Igls tomorrow with the women’s monobob competition at 9 a.m., followed by two-man bobsled at 1:30 p.m. Fans can stream the races via desktop at http://olympics.com/en/live/, and via mobile, tablet and connected television platforms on the Olympic Channel app. Please check your local listings for coverage on the Olympic Channel and OlympicChannel.com.

For media inquiries, please contact USABS Marketing and Communications Director Amanda Bird at amanda.bird@usabs.com.

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Results

1. Elena Nikitina (RUS) 1:47.49 (53.87, 53.62);

2. Kim Meylemans (BEL) 1:47.59 (53.87, 53.72);

3. Kimberly Bos (NED) 1:47.62 (53.75, 53.87);

9. Kelly Curtis (USA) 1:48.47 (54.34, 54.13);

10. Megan Henry (USA) 1:48.49 (54.36, 54.13);

16. Katie Uhlaender (USA) 1:48.95 (54.40, 54.55);

About USA Bobsled/Skeleton

USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS), based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. For more information, please visit the USABS website at www.usabs.com. Individuals interested in becoming a bobsled or skeleton athlete can visit www.usabobsledskeleton.com.