Amy Gough’s Olympic dream is one huge step closer to becoming reality.
The skeleton slider from Abbotsford finished second overall in Canada’s World Cup selection series, thereby clinching one of the three spots on the World Cup team.
Making the World Cup team doesn’t ensure Gough’s presence on Canada’s Olympic squad, but it does give the 32-year-old the inside track to an appearance at the Vancouver Games.
“It’s the best selection races I’ve ever had,” Gough told CTV. “My pushes (start times) have really come a long way. It’s a personal best for sure.”
Gough finished second to Melissa Hollingsworth, the bronze medalist from the 2006 Torino Olympics, in each of the three World Cup selection races – one in Whistler on Oct. 17, and two in Calgary this past weekend.
With her inclusion on the World Cup roster, Gough’s road to the Vancouver Olympics becomes a much more straightforward process.
Canada is allowed to send at least two athletes to the Games, and that number swells to three if the national team finishes among the top two nations in the World Cup standings. The top two Canadian women in the World Cup rankings will automatically qualify for the Olympics, while the third spot would be up for grabs in a race-off among eligible athletes.