LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — For Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands, the collection of the biggest skeleton medals is complete. Bronze at the Beijing Olympics in 2022, silver at the world championships two years ago and now, finally, gold.
Bos is the new world champion of her sport, turning in the fastest times in Friday’s final two runs to win the title at Mount Van Hoevenberg, the fifth different woman to win the season’s biggest skeleton race in the past five years.
“This year I was like, ‘I really want it.’ But you have to have it come to you,” Bos said. “You can’t force sliding.”
It’s the first skeleton worlds gold medal for the Netherlands and extends a run where a different woman has stood atop the podium after the year’s biggest race. Tina Hermann of Germany won the world title in 2021, Hannah Neise of Germany won Olympic gold in 2022 (there are no world championships in Olympic years), Susanne Kreher of Germany won worlds in 2023, Canada’s Hallie Clarke was the world champ last year and now, Bos reigns supreme.
Bos’ four-run time was 3 minutes, 40.06 seconds, and her final margin of 0.67 seconds matched the biggest by a woman at the world championships in a decade. Lizzy Yarnold of Britain won by the same margin at St. Moritz for the world title in 2015.
“It’s really cool. I don’t think I quite know yet what that means, but it means a lot to me because I really wanted to win a world championship,” Bos said. “Honestly, being in the lead after the first day, I was like, ‘Well, I have a good shot. I might as well make use of it.'”
Mystique Ro of the U.S. finished second in 3:40.73, and Anna Fernstaedt of the Czech Republic, whose career seemed in jeopardy after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes three years ago, was third in 3:40.81.
“This is the cherry on top,” Fernstaedt said. “I’m very happy.”
Bos was second behind Austria’s Janine Flock in the overall World Cup standings this season despite having only one medal in eight races this season — that being a win at Sigulda, Latvia. Flock moved up in the final heat Friday night and finished fifth, one spot behind Brazil’s Nicole Rocha Silveira.
