Kim Meylemans wins European skeleton title in run-up to Winter Olympics
Kim Meylemans finished first on Friday at the skeleton World Cup race in St. Moritz, Switzerland, which counts as the European Championship. The Belgian thus clinched the European title for the second time and also reinforced her medal ambitions for the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Kim Meylemans set the fastest time in the first run in St. Moritz and was also the fastest in the second run, securing a commanding victory. She was thus crowned European champion for the second time, after her first title in 2024. American Kelly Curtis and Brazilian Nicole Silveira, who is Meylemans' partner, completed the podium in Switzerland.
“I had a score to settle from last year. I had been very fast in training then, but made mistakes in the race and finished second. This time, I really wanted the win,” Meylemans said after the race.
The 29-year-old Meylemans, nicknamed “the Little Belgian”, is in strong form in the run-up to the Winter Olympics, which start next month in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan. In December, the German-born racer slid to two victories in as many days in a World Cup race in Sigulda, Latvia. With her new victory in Switzerland, Meylemans is also back in the lead in the World Cup, which ends next week with the race in Altenberg, Germany.
Skeleton is one of the oldest winter sports, and one of the most thrilling. Athletes start standing, just like in bobsleigh, then – after a short push – jump face down onto their sled and slide head first down an ice track. They steer by shifting their body weight as they race along the track at 130-140km an hour.
#FlandersNewsService | Kim Meylemans at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics © PHOTO Mark Ralston / AFP
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