GREAT BRITAIN GET QUALIFICATION FOR WYOG OFF TO A GREAT START!

Igls Austria The venue of the first Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG,  13.-22. January 2012) saw the first two of a series four qualification races for the young European bobsleigh athletes.

Great Britain, fielding the most sleds from any nation, a sign of its long term athlete development programme, had a strong showing in both the Mens and Womens events. In race 1 GBR women took the silver and bronze medal positions behind the Netherlands.

Marije van Huigenbosch/Sanne Dekker (NED)  took Gold in the first race in women’s bobsleigh, followed by the British duos Mica McNeill/Sian Huxtable in 2nd and Jazmin Sawyers/Emily Edwards in 3rd

Pilot van Huigenbosch with brakewoman Mandy Groot  also took Gold in the second race, this time followed by teammates Kimberley Bos/Sanne Dekker (NED) and Mica McNeill/Frances Salter (GBR) took Bronze.

These results put Mica Mcneil in 2nd place overall in the current qualification standings for the games.

Up to 6 sleds from the European qualification zone will make it through to the Youth Olympic Games.

Austria‘s Benjamin Maier/Robert Ofensberger won the first race in two-men-bob. Philipp Moelter/Richard Oelsner (GER) came in second, followed by Kirill   Chigvintsev/Ivan Tarasov from Russia.

British pairings of Biddulph and Lelliot and Appleby and Thorburn both achieved top 8 finishes to get their qualification off to a solid start.

GBR Performance Director Gary Anderson praised the athletes and coaches " I know how hard coach Lee Johnston and his team has worked to get to this stage, with the athletic ability of our young athletes in the UK there is no reason we cannot be challenging for the podium in the Youth Olympics. I am delighted for the athletes, two great drives for Mica has put her right in the medal zone and has shown she has the ability. But all the athletes are aware we are only at the half way point and a lot can change, no one has secured qualification or selection as yet, it is all to play for".

The second European venue for the YOG-qualification is the bobtrack in Winterberg (Germany, 26.-27. November 2011).

The qualification races for the athletes in North-America will be held in Lake Placid (USA, 7.-13. November) and Calgary (Canada, 14.-20 November).