Light the Torch – Beijing Olympics and Other Olympic News

Noelle Pikus-Pace Wins Gold and Makes History in the 2007 Women’s Skeleton World Championship

by Sasha Manuel on January 28th, 2007

“I had tears in my eyes even before my last run and all I was thinking about was Feb. 16, 2006,” Pikus-Pace told The Associated Press in a telephone interview, referring to last year’s Olympic skeleton race. “That big margin is strictly because of the motivation I had in me, my desire, my mindset.” TIM REYNOLDS - The Associated Press

[via Daily Herald]

Talk about a brilliant comeback!

Noelle Pikus-Pace (the first American skeleton racer to win the gold at either an Olympics or world championships since Tristan Gale prevailed at the Salt Lake Games in 2002) missed the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino when she failed to compete due to a broken leg.

After two years of competing, finally, Pikus-Pace beat Maya Pedersen, the Olympic gold medallist, in the 2007 Women’s Skeleton World Championship at St. Moritz, Switzerland.

• Making History | Pikus-Pace’s victory margin was 1.56 seconds, ousting the current record made by Michelle Kelly of Canada during the 2003 World Championships in Nagano, Japan, which was 1.31 seconds.

Pikus-Pace was one of two US medalists; current World Cup leader Katie Uhlaender was third, 0.16 seconds behind Pedersen.

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