Bree Walker and Jakara Anthony have both won silver medals on their respective World Cup circuits, as Australia’s winter athletes continue their build-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.
Key points:
- Bree Walker’s podium performance was her fifth of the season
- The 29-year-old moves into second place on the Monobob world standings
- Jakara Anthony’s silver medal in Canada was her fourth moguls podium finish of the season
Bobsledder Walker continued her successful season in the women’s monobob event in Germany, finishing second.
After crossing the finish line on her side after the first run, having crashed on the notorious final corner of the formidable Winterberg track, Walker recovered to set the fastest time on the second run.
Walker, 27, finished just 0.17 seconds behind the overall winner and World Cup leader, American Elena Meyers Taylor.
The podium performance is Walker’s fifth from just six events this season and sees her move into second place on the world standings with just one event, in St Moritz next week, to go.
“I am really satisfied with what I have been able to produce so far this season in the monobob,” Walker said.
“[It’s] a very exciting time but it isn’t over yet.”
Walker will be back in action tomorrow in Winterberg competing in the two-woman World Cup event with brakewoman Kiara Reddingius.
Also in action for Australia in the Europe Cup series in Innsbruck, Austria, was Ashleigh Werner, who took home a silver and bronze medal in the monobob events and teamed up with brakewoman Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr to finish in fourth place in the two-woman bobsleigh.
Jakara Anthony back on moguls podium in Canada
On the snow, Jakara Anthony also made a return to the podium, winning silver in the second of back-to-back moguls competitions at Mont Tremblant in Canada.
The silver medal was Anthony’s fourth moguls podium of the season.
Anthony had surrendered her position at the top of the overall World Cup standings after finishing fifth on the opening day of competition, with 17-year-old Japanese star Anri Kawamura taking over top spot.
However, the 23-year-old Queenslander roared back into form overnight, edging Kawamura into third with a score of 79.02.
“I am really happy with my progression over the last four days,” Anthony said.
“It was hard to get momentum after not having ideal training over the last three weeks.
“This course didn’t really work to my strengths but I was happy to take on the challenge and come away with a silver medal.”
French athlete Perrine Laffont, who suffered a horrifying crash at the previous round of competition at Alpe d’Huez in December, beat both to claim a second World Cup win of the season.
Australia’s Britteny Cox and Sophie Ash finished in 13th and 21st place respectively.
In the men’s competition at the same venue, Brodie Summers was Australia’s best performer, finishing in 13th spot. James Matheson (16th) and Cooper Woods (26th) were also in action.
Anthony remains in second place overall in the World Cup standings behind Kawamura with just one more event, at Utah’s Deer Valley in midweek, before the Olympics in Beijing.