Skeleton Preview: Uhlander Still Going Heading Into Beijing
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(AP) -- There wound up being five sliders chosen as part of the U.S. Olympic skeleton team that competed in the 2006 Turin Games.
Of those, four are long retired. Chris Soule stopped sliding after those Olympics. Kevin Ellis stopped in 2009. Zach Lund and Eric Bernotas in 2010.
The other is Katie Uhlaender.
More than a decade after all her teammates hung up their sleds, she's still going -- apparently now with a finish line in sight. Uhlaender is in position to compete in her fifth, and final, Olympics.
"I have worked extremely hard and sacrificed everything over the last four years to pursue the Beijing Games," Uhlaender said. "I have dedicated most of my life to winning an Olympic medal in skeleton."
She was the first women's skeleton athlete to compete in four Olympics when she was part of the Pyeongchang Games in 2018 -- so, obviously, if she starts the race at these Beijing Games she'll be the first five-timer as well.
And Uhlaender might not be a medal favorite, but it's certainly not far-fetched to think she can get to the podium. Uhlaender is one of 11 women with at least four top-10 finishes in World Cup races this season.
The gold favorites, though, are clear: Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands and Martins Dukurs of Latvia were the winners of the women's and men's World Cup overall season championships, and that means they'll be the consensus picks to win the big prize when they get to the Beijing Games.
"The Olympics are a completely different competition," Bos said. "The story that past results are no guarantee for the future certainly holds true in our sport. In Beijing it's a completely different job. But I'm in good shape, really looking forward to it and we've got the process together as a team."
She won her first World Cup overall title this season. Dukurs won his 11th — but has yet to capture Olympic gold. He doesn't think the World Cup crown guarantees him anything at the Olympics.
"This is a new competition," Dukurs said. "Really interesting, really crazy track … a totally different race."
THE SPORT EXPLAINED
Skeleton sliders go down the track headfirst, often reaching speeds exceeding 80 mph (129 kph). Athletes typically begin with one hand on their sled as they sprint alongside, then leap aboard for the ride down the track. The better the start time, the more momentum and speed they'll carry into the first few turns. A great start isn't crucial, but definitely helps.
MEN'S RACE
There were six different men to win World Cup gold medals this season, but in the last four races one family has dominated. Martins Dukurs got all three of his victories in that span and the other went to his brother, Tomass Dukurs. Germany's Axel Jungk and Christopher Grotheer should be in medal contention as well; they finished second and third, respectively, in the World Cup standings.
WOMEN'S RACE
The last World Cup race had sliders from nine countries in the top nine spots, certainly suggesting that plenty of nations will head to the Beijing Games believing they have legit medal hopes. Bos, Elena Nikitina -- who is from Russia, but cannot technically race under her nation's flag at these Games because of doping sanctions against the Russians -- and Germany's Tina Hermann were all two-time winners this season.