New Zealand skeleton racer Katharine Eustace has broken into the top 20 in the International Bobsled Federation (FIBT) women's world rankings following a World Cup race in Lake Placid, United States, on Saturday.
Eustace finished 14th in the final World Cup race before Christmas and has been
She has also qualified for the World Championships in February.
"I've still got some work to do. Having the fifth-fastest push time and maintaining that position until part way through the run shows that there is potential. But then, struggling at the bottom of the track meant that I dropped back some spots.
"However, if I can continue to improve my driving skills over Christmas and New Year before the races start again in January then I know that I can do better," Eustace said in an email yesterday.
The world leader is Anja Huber of Germany, silver medallist at this year's Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Eustace hopes if she can race the next four World Cup races in Europe, she will pick up a few more spots and gain a higher start position at the World Championships.
That is an advantage, as the ice normally degrades during competition.
Eustace next races in Igls, Austria, on January 14.
Michael Coutts, of Dunedin, is ranked 40th and was disappointed with his race at Lake Placid, despite a strong push.
With limited finances available, he is considering how to approach the second half of his season, but on results so far, he has qualified for the World Championships.
