Canada's Elisabeth Maier captures 1st top-5 finish of World Cup season
Calgary native placed 7th in her 1st race back following a 1-year maternity leave
Calgary's Elisabeth Maier got her first top-five finish of the World Cup season at a skeleton event on Friday, in Innsbruck, Austria.
Maier returned from a year-long maternity leave last week and placed seventh. However, she showed little rust and was a few-hundreds of a second from tying her all-time best.
This week, it was much of the same for Maier who got off to a good start and was in the lead after the first turn. She held the lead up until the final turn when she slowed down ever so slightly and was 0.05 seconds back of Germany's Jacqueline Loelling's time.
Maier's first run was 53.61 which had her in fourth place and in striking distance of the podium. She followed that up with a second run of 53.67, which was good for a total time of 1:47.28 and a fifth-place finish which she was pleased about.
WATCH | Elisabeth Maier finishes 5th at World Cup event:
"My goal today was to get a top-10 so I'm definitely happy with the top-six finish," Maier said. "I know all of the heavy hitters are here so being just five-hundredths away from the podium is really great."
Maier was the lone Canadian to compete in the two skeleton events before the holiday break.
Janine Flock, of Austria, came first with a total of time 1:47.01. Kimberley Bos, of The Netherlands, was second at 1:47:22. Rounding out the podium was Loelling, who finished at 1:47.23.
