Ottawa native Mimi Rahneva continued the explosive start to her World Cup skeleton career by earning her first-ever gold medal on the elite international circuit at the sport’s birthplace in St. Moritz, Switzerland on Jan. 20.
“I didn’t expect (this success). I am definitely surprising myself,” Rahneva, who won by a massive margin by skeleton standards of 1.83 seconds, said a Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton news release. “I am so privileged to be able to slide here, and win.”
After setting a new track start record and finishing 5th in her World Cup debut in Whistler, the former university rugby player captured her first career World Cup medal (bronze) while racing on the track closest to home in Lake Placid, NY. She also added another bronze on Jan. 15 in Winterberg, Germany and put in a 4th-place showing behind three athletes from host Germany at the Jan. 27 World Cup in Königssee.
Now ranked 4th in the world, the 28-year-old has rocketed herself into the position of a podium prospect for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. She will race in her first World Championships Feb. 13-26 back in Königssee.