The expected battle between Britain’s Lizzy Yarnold and the USA’s Noelle Pikus-Pace is going the way of the British at the halfway point.
Date: 13-Feb
Sport: Skeleton
Event: Women’s, first two runs (of four)
How U.S. fared: Noelle Pikus-Pace is 0.44 seconds behind the leader, finishing second in each heat. The minor surprise is Katie Uhlaender, who has a world championship on her resume but not much World Cup success this year. She’s fourth, 0.69 seconds back, and right in the thick of the mix for the podium.
What happened: Russia’s sliders are third, fifth, and sixth, and Australia filed a protest, claiming Russia was warming up on a push track that wasn’t open to others. Protest denied. So prepare for the medal stage of a rare sliding event in which the Germans aren’t contending.