SIGULDA, Latvia — Christopher Grotheer has maintained his unbeaten streak this season, but he has lost his lead in the World Cup men’s skeleton standings.
Britain’s Marcus Wyatt claimed victory in a race on Friday held in Sigulda, Latvia, allowing him to ascend to the top of the World Cup leaderboard. Grotheer, the current Olympic champion who had a perfect record with four World Cup race wins prior to this weekend, suffered an injury during a training session on Tuesday and was unable to compete. This absence created an opportunity for Wyatt to seize control of the points table.
In a social media statement, Grotheer expressed his gratitude to the medical team that endeavored to enable him to race. He shared, “I’m already on my way home to clarify exactly what’s going on and what the next few weeks will look like. A big thank you to the medical department who tried everything to give me a start. In the end, we decided together against a start so as not to jeopardize the rest of the season and the other goals of the season.”
Wyatt’s performance saw him secure first place, with fellow Brit Matt Weston finishing closely in second. China’s Yin Zheng managed to clinch the third position. As a result of the race, Wyatt has accumulated 1,037 points in the standings, edging out Weston, who has 1,030 points. Grotheer now sits in third place with 900 points, making his path to the season championship much more challenging with only three races left in the schedule. Austin Florian emerged as the top finisher for the U.S. men, landing in seventh place.
On the women’s side, Kimberley Bos from the Netherlands continued the trend of different winners throughout the season, securing her place as the fifth unique victor in as many races. She finished first, followed by Austria’s Janine Flock in second, while Belgium’s Kim Meylemans rounded out the top three in third place. The U.S. women’s team was represented by Mystique Ro, who placed seventh.
The reigning Olympic champion, Germany’s Hannah Niese, is currently leading the women’s point standings with 988 points, while Janine Flock is in second with 940 points, and Bos is third with 897 points.
Looking ahead, there are three more skeleton World Cup events scheduled for the season: January 3 in Winterberg, Germany, January 10 in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and February 7 in Lillehammer, Norway.
Upcoming events include the Luge World Cup at Oberhof, Germany, taking place this Saturday and Sunday, as well as the Bobsled World Cup at Sigulda, Latvia, also this weekend, and the Skeleton World Cup resuming in Winterberg, Germany, on January 3.