Jane Channell finishes 4th in World Cup skeleton race
Vancouver native competed at Whistler, B.C. event
Canadian Jane Channell finished in fourth place in the women's skeleton event at the IBSF World Cup on Friday in Whistler, B.C.
Channell, of North Vancouver, B.C., had a two-run time of one minute 49.87 seconds.
🇨🇦 <a href="https://twitter.com/janechannell">@janechannell</a> is competing in Whistler now! Stream on cbcsports.ca or the CBC Sports app. <a href="https://twitter.com/BobCANSkel">@BobCANSkel</a> <a href="https://t.co/ypGD3oUaHG">https://t.co/ypGD3oUaHG</a>
—@cbcsportsGermany's Tina Hermann was first in 1:48.90, American Anne O'Shea finished second in 1:49.09 and Jacqueline Loelling of Germany placed third in 1:49.48.
Canadian Elisabeth Vathje was 10th in 1:50.80, while Cassie Hawrysh of Brandon, Man., was 19th.
The German slider continued her dominance of women's skeleton on by winning a fourth World Cup gold of the season.
Hermann also has a silver and a fourth-place finish to lead the overall standings through six races.
"It's really exciting. I'm very happy about it," said the 23-year-old. "My season has been really great. I didn't expect to be in such good form."
Hermann trailed O'Shea by 0.02 seconds for top spot at the race's midway point, but was even better her second time down the 16-corner, 1,450-metre track at the Whistler Sliding Centre to claim her first comeback victory of the season.
O'Shea was in position to win her second World Cup in three weeks, and the second of her career, but tipped her hat to Hermann's performance.
"I'm super happy with silver," said O'Shea. "Tina threw down an awesome second run. That was hard to compete with."
Channell wasn't happy with her first attempt, but put things together late to finish just out of the medals.
"I know how to get down this track," said the 27-year-old. "It was just a matter of keeping my composure, staying relaxed and letting the sled fly.
"I'm happy with it. Training wasn't going well, but come race day I put it all to the side and gave it my all."
A former university sprinter, Channell moved to Whistler after the 2010 Olympics to take up skeleton and raced in a World Cup on her home track for the first time.
"You never want to disappoint the home crowd. Ever," said Channell, who maintained third in the overall standings. "It would have been great to stand on the podium, but I can't be upset with a fourth place. I'll definitely have a smile on my face today."