Channell silver at World Cup skeleton

WHISTLER Canada’ s Jane Chan nell won World Cup silver on Friday in the women’s skeleton competition at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

Channell, from North Vancouver, finished second in one minute 48.61 seconds.

Jacqueline Loelling won gold in 1:48.38 and fellow German Tina Hermann took bronze in 1:48.65.

Ottawa’s Mirela Rahneva was seventh in 1:49.01 and Elisabeth Vathje of Calgary was eighth in 1:49.06.

Elsewhere, Adrien Theaux of France posted the fastest time in training Friday for the seasonopening men’s World Cup downhill. The men get just one training run for Saturday’s race in Lake Louise, Alta., as weather and poor snow conditions wiped out the first two.

Theaux’s time was one minute, 51.54 seconds. Erik Guay of MontTremblant, Que., was the fastest Canadian in fifth, almost a full second behind Theaux.

Meanwhile, Swedish skier Stina Nilsson and Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won sprint races as the cross-country World Cup opened for its Olympic season on Friday. Nilsson won the women’s classical event by 0.24 seconds over Sadie Bjornsen of the United States.

Dahria Beatty of Whitehorse was the top Canadian in 64th place while Emily Nishikawa of Whitehorse was 74th and Cendrine Browne of St-Jerome, Que., was 87th.

On the men’s side, Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., was the top Canadian in 21st spot. Julien Locke of Nelson, B.C., was 59th, Len Valjas of Toronto was 63rd, Knute Johnsgaard of Whitehorse was 73rd, Devon Kershaw of Sudbury, Ont., was 74th, Graeme Killick of Fort McMurray, Alta., was 85th and Jesse Cockney of Canmore, Alta., was 95th.