Kelowna’s Eric Neilson bounced back from a disappointing season-opener on the World Cup circuit to nearly match his career-best in men’s skeleton racing last Saturday in Park City, Utah.
Competing in just his second year on Canada’s elite squad, the 31-year-old Rutland grad finished as the top Canuck in sixth place after clocking a two-run time of 1:40.18.
“Anytime you are in the mix with these guys it is a good day,” said Neilson, who was 16th at a World Cup event the previous week in Lake Placid. “I was a little more relaxed and comfortable today. I feel I am ready for (the podium) if it comes to me. This field is just so deep so I just need to relax, have a good time and remember why I started this. I was able to do that today.”
Neilson slid to three top-10 finishes in his rookie year on the World Cup, with his best result in 2011-12 being a fifth-place finish in Winterberg, Germany.
Neilson is also the defending Canadian champion.
This weekend, the World Cup circuit stops at Whistler with the men’s skeleton race going on Saturday.
