WINTERBERG, Germany (Jan. 5, 2020)– In her third-career women’s skeleton World Cup race, Megan Henry (Roxbury, Conn.) finished seventh to lead the U.S. team in Winterberg this morning. Savannah Graybill (Denver, Pa.) and Kendall Wesenberg (Modesto, Calif.) finished 16th and 17th, respectively.
“I was trying to have fun and be consistent with things I knew were solid from training,” Henry said. “The only thing I struggled with today was my start. The groove was sticky and I had trouble getting the sled off the block, and I was running too close to my sled. I loaded really early compared to where I normally would. There aren’t a lot of places to gain speed here, so I know that’s where I lost time.”
Known for some of the fastest starts in the world, Henry was only able to muster the sixth and seventh best push times of 5.38 and 5.40 seconds today. Henry clocked identical runs of 58.73 seconds for a combined time of 1:57.46 to finish seventh, just 0.22 seconds from the top six.
This is only Henry’s third-career World Cup start. She made her debut earlier this season in the double Lake Placid, N.Y. races, where she finished 12th and 13th.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself for those first two races in Lake Placid,” Henry said. “I came into this race trying to be more relaxed, and knowing that I can perform at this level. The team has been really great, and I’m excited for the rest of the tour.”
Henry has limited experience in Winterberg, having competed in six races before today–three Intercontinental Cup races, two European Cup races, and one World Championships. Her former best Winterberg finish was eighth from the 2018 Intercontinental Cup.
Germany’s Tina Hermann was victorious in 1:56.21. Mirela Rahnever from Canada was just 0.03 seconds off the pace, claiming silver in 1:56.24. Austrian Janine Flock secured bronze in 1:56.37.
Graybill posted identical start times of 5.61 seconds for runs of 59.16 and 59.08 seconds. She finished 16 with a combined time of 1:58.24. Wesenberg clocked a start of 5.71 seconds for the 15th best time of 59.05 in the first run. She fell back slightly in run two with a start time of 5.73. Wesenberg was gaining speed, but she ran out of track. She crossed the finish line in 59.22 for a cumulative time of 1:58.27 to finish 17th.
The women’s skeleton competition concluded the Winterberg event. The next stop will be in La Plagne, France for the fourth World Cup of the 2019-2020 season.
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Results
1. Tina Hermann (GER) 1:56.21 (58.10, 58.11); 2. Mirela Rahnever (CAN) 1:56.24 (58.23, 58.01); 3. Janine Flock (AUT) 1:56.37 (58.21, 58.16); 7. Megan Henry (USA) 1:57.46 (58.73, 58.73); 16. Savannah Graybill (USA) 1:58.24 (59.16, 59.08); 17. Kendall Wesenberg (USA) 1:58.27 (59.05, 59.22);
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Source- Team USA