Swiss take skeleton gold and silver

Maya Pedersen-Bieri on her way to gold RTS

Switzerland has won gold and silver medals at the skeleton world championship in the Canadian city of Calgary.

Maya Pedersen-Bieri took gold in the women’s race, while Gregor Stähli took silver in the men’s event.

The Swiss successes came a day after Switzerland’s Martin Annen took bronze in the bobsleigh championship, which took place on the same course.

The 32-year-old Pedersen-Bieri, who won Monday’s race in an exciting duel against world cup champion Noelle Pikus-Pace, is the first skeleton racer with two world championship titles.

Four years ago, she also won gold at the event, which was staged at the same venue.

Olympic disappointment

A year later, Pedersen-Bieri recorded the best time in the second run at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002 but finished only fifth after a disappointing first run.

Stähli, 36, is the world’s most successful skeleton racer, picking up his sixth medal in the discipline. Stähli took gold at the World Championship and also has three silver medals and two bronze under his belt.

In Monday’s race, Stähli came second to World Cup champion Jeff Pain of Canada, who finished with an eight-tenths of a second advantage.

The two other Swiss who competed in the Calgary event were not so successful. Tanja Morel came in ninth, while Cédric Tamani finished in 20th position.

swissinfo with agencies

Key facts

The world bob and skeleton championships are taking place in Calgary until February 27.
Athletes from more than 25 countries are battling it out on the Canadian track.
To date, Switzerland has taken three medals: one in the bob event and two in the skeleton.

In brief

Skeleton is a winter sport, which takes place on a natural or artificial ice track, using a toboggan called a skeleton.

Athletes go down on the skeleton on their stomachs, with body movements allowing them to pilot down the track.