MASTERING WHISTLER
Hollingsworth golden at site of Olympic heartbreak
Last time I was crying because I lost, today I’m crying because I won
MELLISA HOLLINGSWORTH
Mellisa Hollingsworth was in tears again on Thursday at the Whistler Sliding Centre. This time, however, they were tears of joy.
The skeleton racer out of Airdrie finally found a measure of redemption at Whistler, posting the fastest two runs on the challenging, super-fast track to capture a FIBT World Cup race on an ice chute that caused her so much Olympic grief.
“Canada is going to think I’m just a big bawler,” said a beaming Hollingsworth, who was an emotional mess in 2010, blubbering her way through apologetic interviews after a disastrous fourth and final run knocked her from first place to fifth.
“Last time I was crying be- cause I lost, today I’m crying because I won.”
Actually, this was her second World Cup at Whistler since the Olympics. In the 2010-2011 season opener she didn’t fully exorcise the demons as she finished second behind German gold medallist Marion Thees.
On Thursday, she posted the fastest first run of 55.09 seconds, .07 ahead of surprising Lucy Katherine Chaffer of Australia and .25 ahead of sixth-place Thees.
Then as she waited for 19 other racers to slide in the second run, she became a jumble of nerves and doubt.
“I called my coach Duff (Gibson) over and I said ‘it’s pretty eerie right now. The sun’s setting about the same time, it’s the same feel as the position I’ve been in before’ having that opportunity to be on the podium, win that gold medal.’
“He was like ‘this is good, it’s good that you’re uncomfortable, this is going to prepare you for Sochi (site of the 2014 Olympics), prepare you for world championships this year. A lot of people would be dying to be in this position.’ I know I’m my own worst enemy and the No. 1 word as I was standing on the block was just respect. Respect for this track, it was me and my sled.”
She had purposely kept her eyes off the scoreboard, had no idea what any of her competitors had done. That was probably a good thing as Elizabeth Yarnold of Great Britain (54.92), Calgarian Amy Gough (54.97), and Chaffer (54.80) all went faster than her first run.
But Hollingsworth found a near-perfect line, stopping the clock at 54.70. Her tworun time of 1:49.70 gave her a .17-second cushion over Chaffer, who scored her first career World Cup podium.
Hollingsworth, 31, said her seventh World Cup victory was her biggest and there was both joy and relief.
“I just caught a glimpse of the clock (on the finish dock), saw my name on top and that was relief. And then it was just instant . . . really felt proud.”
Teammate Sara Reid of Calgary, who finished sixth, said it was great to see Hollingsworth win. “It’s a big monkey off Mel’s back.”
Gough, who won her first World Cup earlier this year in December, in another weather-affected, single-run event, was seventh in 1:50:60.