New Zealand's top skeleton racers Katharine Eustace and Ben Sandford have qualified to compete at the world championships this month despite finishing outside the top 10 in their World Cup races at Whistler, Canada, on Monday.
The world championships will be held from February 17-26 at Lake Placid, New York.
Both athletes have raced strongly this season in Europe, securing top-10 finishes in Germany and Switzerland.
Eustace, a Wanaka physiotherapist, had not raced at Whistler before and finished 15th, with personal best times.
"Although I feel I could do better with more time on the track, at least I put down my best runs on race day. I couldn't ask more of myself and it gives me a bit more belief that I can learn these new tracks quickly so I can be competitive with the best in the world," Eustace said.
Sandford, of Rotorua, finished 5th after his first run but dropped back to 12th after struggling with his start on his second run.
Both athletes will race at Calgary this weekend before going to the world championships.
