11/21/25 03:17:00
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11/21 15:15 CST First skeleton test race on controversial new Olympic sliding
track won by Weston
First skeleton test race on controversial new Olympic sliding track won by
Weston
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) --- The first official test race on the
controversial sliding track being rebuilt for the Milan Cortina Olympics was
won by skeleton world champion Matt Weston of Britain on Friday.
Weston beat European champion Samuel Maier of Austria by 0.15 seconds after two
runs in the head-first discipline down the Eugenio Monti track.
It was also the opening skeleton World Cup of the Olympic season.
Yin Zheng of China finished third, 0.18 behind, after setting the first track
record at 56.79 seconds in his opening run.
Junior world champion Lukas Nydegger of Germany achieved his best World Cup
result in fourth, missing the podium by 0.05.
The top American finisher was Austin Florian in 10th while Cortina native
Mattia Gaspari led host Italy in 17th.
In the women's event, Jaqcueline Pfeifer claimed her first World Cup win in
almost five years. The three-time World Cup overall winner was 0.23 ahead of
German teammate and Olympic champion Hannah Neise.
Kim Meylemans of Belgium finished 0.32 behind in third.
Also, the British duo of Tabitha Stoecker and Marcus Wyatt won the mixed team
event that will make its Olympic debut this season.
Bobsled races are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
While the competitive part of the track in Cortina is ready, surrounding areas
are still being constructed and no spectators were allowed in for the test
event.
The International Olympic Committee didn't want millions to be spent rebuilding
the track in Cortina, which closed in 2008 due to rising maintenance costs. The
IOC suggested holding sliding events for these Games in nearby Austria or
Switzerland instead.
But the Italian government pushed ahead anyway and is spending 118 million
euros ($136 million) remaking the venue.
The Olympics are scheduled for Feb. 6-22.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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