Skeleton, Women

For the first time since skeleton was re-introduced to the Olympic Winter Games in 2002, Germany won medals in both the men and women’s events. Even better, they topped each podium. Hannah Neise clocked 4:07.62 to take gold in the women’s event. She was followed by Australia’s Jackie Narracott in 4:08.24 and Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands in 4:08.46. Germany’s men had taken gold and silver the previous day.

Neise’s win ensured all gold medals on offer up to that point at the National Sliding Centre went to Germany. They swept the titles in luge, and of 18 sliding medals awarded up to then, Germany had won half. Skeleton, however, had not been a discipline that they had traditionally dominated.

Kimberley Bos, the current season’s World Cup leader, took the bronze by coming from fourth place after three runs, to overtake Germany’s Tina Hermann, a four-time World Champion, who dropped back to fourth after the final run. The Netherlands had also never previously won a medal in Olympic skeleton racing.

Neise became the second youngest gold medallist in the event at 21 years 262 days, behind the inaugural winner of the event in 2002, Tristan Gale, who was 21 years 193 days old at the time of her victory.

Narracott became the fourth oldest medallist in the women’s skeleton, at 31 years 99 days. She competed in the event in 2018, finishing 16th. Her uncle, Paul Narracott, was a sprinter at the 1984 Olympics in athletics and competed at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in bobsleigh.

With Laura Deas finishing in 19th place, Great Britain’s medal streak in the women’s skeleton came to an end. Since this event was re-introduced to the Olympic program in 2002, a British woman had finished on the podium at five consecutive Winter Games prior to Beijing.