Kimberley Bos slides to gold at Lake Placid, becomes 1st Dutch skeleton athlete to win world title

For Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands, the collection of the biggest skeleton medals is complete. Bronze at the Beijing Olympics in 2022, silver at the world championships two years ago and now, finally, she has gold.

Bos is the new world champion of her sport, turning in the fastest times in Friday's final two runs to win the title at Mount Van Hoevenberg — the fifth different woman to win the season's biggest skeleton race in the last five years.

"This year I was like, `I really want it.' But you have to have it come to you," Bos said. "You can't force sliding."

It's the first skeleton worlds gold medal for the Netherlands and extends a run where a different woman has stood atop the podium after the year's biggest race. Tina Hermann of Germany won the world title in 2021, Hannah Neise of Germany won Olympic gold in 2022 (there are no world championships in Olympic years), Susanne Kreher of Germany won worlds in 2023, Canada's Hallie Clarke was the world champ last year and now, Bos reigns supreme.

The 20-year-old Clarke, who was in third place after Thursday's opening two runs, finished eighth. The Brighton, Ont., native clocked a total time of 3:41.43, which was 1.37 behind Bos.

Jane Channell of North Vancouver, B.C., was 12th in 3:42.15.

WATCH l Bos captures historic skeleton gold medal:

Kimberley Bos becomes 1st Dutch women's skeleton athlete to capture world title

1 day ago

Duration 4:06

Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands wins the women's skeleton event at the IBSF World Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Bos's four-run time was 3 minutes, 40.06 seconds, and her final margin of 0.67 seconds matched the biggest by a woman at the world championships in a decade. Lizzy Yarnold of Britain won by the same margin at St. Moritz for the world title in 2015.

"It's really cool. I don't think I quite know yet what that means, but it means a lot to me because I really wanted to win a world championship," Bos said. "Honestly, being in the lead after the first day, I was like, `Well, I have a good shot. I might as well make use of it."'

Mystique Ro of the U.S. finished second in 3:40.73 and Anna Fernstaedt of the Czech Republic — whose career seemed in jeopardy after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes three years ago — was third in 3:40.81.

"This is the cherry on top," Fernstaedt said. "I'm very happy."

Bos was second behind Austria's Janine Flock in the overall World Cup standings this season despite having only one medal in eight races this season — that being a win at Sigulda, Latvia. Flock moved up in the final heat on Friday night and finished fifth, one spot behind Brazil's Nicole Rocha Silveira.

WATCH | Clarke becomes youngest female world champion:

Canadian teen Hallie Clarke becomes youngest female world champion in skeleton

1 year ago

Duration 6:36

19-year-old Hallie Clarke of Brighton, Ont., followed up on her under-20 world junior championship skeleton win last year in Winterberg, Germany by winning gold at the 2024 world championships on the same track.