Amy Williams ends Britain’s 30-year gold drought with victory in women’s skeleton

Reporting from Whistler, Canada — 

Amy Williams tamed the Whistler track over two nights to win the women’s skeleton competition and become the first Winter Olympian in 30 years to earn a gold medal for Britain.

However, Williams, who survived a protest Thursday by the U.S. team over the shape of her helmet, faces a second challenge from the Canadians, who also claim that the grooves -- spoilers -- do not conform to international-federation standards.

The International Federation of Bobsleigh and Skeleton (FIBT) said Friday night that it had denied the Canadian protest.

Williams, the runner-up at the 2009 world championships, won the event convincingly (3 minutes 35.64 seconds). Kerstin Szymkowiak (3:36.20) and Anja Huber (3:36.36) -- teammates and roommates -- filled out the podium, giving Germany its first skeleton medals since the sport returned to the Games in 2002.

Canadian Mellisa Hollingsworth, in second place before her final run, slid out of medal contention and into fifth place.

After an FIBT jury rejected the first protest, saying spoilers were an integral part of her helmet, Williams laughed it off.

“Whenever someone is winning, someone always finds something to moan about,” she said. “We all have the same helmets.”

On the men’s side, Canadian Jon Montgomery capitalized on driving mistakes to overtake Martins Dukurs of Latvia, compiling a four-run time of 3:29.73. Dukurs finished .07 of a second behind. Alexander Tretyakov of Russia was third (3:30.75).

American Zach Lund finished fifth (3:31.27).

In her first and last Olympics, American Noelle Pikus-Pace was fourth (3:36.46), a tenth of a second away from a bronze medal.

Afterward, she said she had no regrets and had no desire to take back her first run, which left her in seventh place.

Pikus-Pace missed the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, after she was struck by a runaway bobsled, which shattered her right leg three months before the opening ceremony.

“This was so worth the four-year wait,” she said, smiling broadly.

“Being here with my daughter and seeing her blow kisses to me between runs made all the difference in the world.”

candy.thomson@baltsun.com