×

USABS competes in Park City IBSF World Cup

PARK CITY, Utah — The second IBSF World Cup of the season took place in Park City, Utah this past week.

This past Thursday, the event kicked off with women’s skeleton, where Kelly Curtis was Team USA’s top finisher in fifth place with a combined run time of 1 minute, 38.70 seconds.

Team USA’s Hallie Clarke claimed ninth place in women’s skeleton in 1:39.31, while Kendall Wesenberg was 12th in 1:39.68.

On the men’s side, Austin Florian led Team USA with a sixth-place finish in 1:37.19. Florian’s performance marked the first time he has placed within the top six at a World Cup event. Andrew Blaser, a 2022 Olympian, took 11th place in 1:37.61.

“I am ecstatic about today,” Florian said in a statement. “This is one of my home tracks … I am happy with how I drove and happy with how I pushed and it is my best-ever World Cup result so I cannot ask for much better.”

The following day kicked off with a victorious finish for Team USA in women’s monobob. Kaillie Humphries, who won gold at the first-ever women’s Olympic monobob event in February, took first place with a 1:42.93 finish. Friday also marked, Humphries’ one-year anniversary of gaining her American Citizenship — she previously competed for Canada.

“I am so excited about today,” Humphries said. “New track record and the ice is awesome. Thrilled to be here, at home, in Park City; it is fantastic and great to walk away with gold.”

Team USA’s Nicole Vogt placed took eighth place with a 1:44.59 finish and Riley Compton was ninth in 1:45.39. Five-time Olympic medalist in bobsledding Elana Meyers Taylor was absent from the event. She recently gave birth to her son, Noah.

In two-man bobsled, Frankie Del Duca and Hakeem Abdul-Saboor took seventh place with a combined run time of 1:36.97. Geoffrey Gadbois and Darius Joseph placed 10th with their 1:37.52 finish.

On Saturday, the day began with two-woman bobsled with a third-place finish for Humphries and Jasmine Jones thanks to their 1:37.69 finish. The third-place finish marked Jones’ first World Cup medal.

Team USA’s Vogt and Emily Renna took eighth place in 1:38.04, while Compton and Jestena Mattson placed ninth in 1:41.00.

The competition concluded with four-man bobsled, where the team of Abdul-Saboor, Del Duca, Adrian Adams and Manteo Mitchell finished in seventh place with a time of 1:34.36. Gadbois, Joseph, Quentin Willey and Freddie Harris took 11th place in 1:35.41.

The IBSF World Cup will continue in Lake Placid, following the IBSF Push World Championships.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today