Hallie Clarke becomes youngest world champion in skeleton after switch from USA
Hallie Clarke became the first teenager to win a world championship in skeleton, doing so less than a year after switching from the U.S. back to Canada.
Clarke, 19, prevailed by 22 hundredths of a second over Belgian Kim Meylemans combining times from four runs over the last two days in Winterberg, Germany.
Clarke and Olympic gold medalist Hannah Neise of Germany were tied going into the final run. Neise ended up with bronze.
Clarke was born in Belleville, Ontario, primarily grew up in the U.S. in Orchard Park, New York, and Marlborough, Massachusetts, then moved to Calgary around age 14 due to her mom's job.
She picked up skeleton in Canada and began sliding for that nation. She then switched to the U.S. before the 2022-23 season.
“I spent 13 of my 18 years there (in the U.S.), so I just felt like it was time,” Clarke said in 2022.
That season, Clarke had a pair of runner-up finishes on the World Cup at age 18.
Then last July, Clarke posted on social media, "In light of immigration difficulties, the best decision for me was to return to Canada" and added that the she was back "for good!"
Canada's skeleton federation also stated that the September appointment of Clarke's career-long personal coach, Joe Cecchini, as national team head coach "made the decision easy" for Clarke.
Clarke's best World Cup finish this season going into worlds was seventh.
Also at worlds, Dutchwoman Kimberley Bos, the world's top-ranked slider, had the fastest first run, then was 21st in the second run after problems getting her helmet on correctly before the start.
Bos ended up ninth overall, one spot behind the top American, Mystique Ro. The last U.S. men's or women's skeleton medal at worlds was in 2013 (Noelle Pikus-Pace's silver).
The men's competition ends later Friday.
