Aussie Walker fastest in monobob training

Sledder Breeana Walker, one of Australia’s big medal hopes at the Winter Olympics, has begun her preparations impressively for the monobob, having set the pace on the opening two official training runs.

Walker, a former one-lap hurdler who’s made a successful transition to the ice chute, laid down a marker by outpacing her rivals on Thursday, the first day of training for the inaugural one-driver sled event .

Though the training times can be deceptive with teams still experimenting with their equipment, negotiating the Yanqing National Sliding Centre track quickest on both runs, in 64.40sec and 64.46sec respectively, has sent out a warning to her opponents.

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Queensland-based Walker, who turned to winter sports after injuries wrecked her chances of progression on the athletics track, has been one of the top contenders in the monobob world series all winter in Europe.

She eventually finished fifth in the series but only after one bad run in Switzerland on the final day.

US sledder Elana Meyers Taylor, the world series champion, is the one they all have to beat - but her preparations have been chaotic after she tested positive for COVID-19 on January 29 and had to isolate.

The three-time Olympic medallist was only able to get back into action in Thursday’s training and admitted: “It wasn’t ideal definitely, not the greatest, particularly because this is a very technically challenging track.

“There’s some really great competitors from top to bottom. You can see from the time sheet that some people have figured it out more than others.

“There’s some very fierce competitors - (American) Kaillie Humphries, Breeana Walker, the Canadians