LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — In football, this would be a five-touchdown lead. In basketball, the subs would be in. In boxing, someone might consider throwing a towel.
Matt Weston of Britain has a lead of 0.89 seconds at the halfway point of the world skeleton championships, after he cruised through his first two runs on Thursday. He will try to finish off the title with two more runs at Mount Van Hoevenberg on Friday.
That lead might not sound like much. But in a sliding sport, where races are often decided by hundredths of a second, it's an eternity.
“On his day, he's nearly unbeatable,” said British teammate Marcus Wyatt, who was in second place.
Sure enough, Thursday was Weston's day. Friday might be his day as well; only two runs separate the two-time defending World Cup overall champion from his second world title. Only an enormous mistake would cost Weston the crown at this point.
“It's not a bad day,” Weston said. “But I've had enough experience now racing four heats over two days to know I can't take my foot off the gas. ... There's more in there.”
Germany has the third and fourth spots, with Axel Jungk (1:50.03) and Christopher Grotheer (1:50.05). Realistically, Wyatt, Jungk and Grotheer are all racing for the silver medal now on a track that might play host to the Olympic races next winter if a facility being built in Italy isn't finished in time.
A pair of Chinese sliders — Yin Zheng and Chen Wenhao — are fifth and sixth, followed by Austin Florian of the U.S. in seventh and Vladyslav Heraskevych of Ukraine eighth. Florian tied a 9-year-old start record at Mount Van Hoevenberg with a push of 4.70 seconds at the top of the ramp.
“I knew it had it in me,” Florian said. “I was just wondering when it was going to come out.”
The first two runs of the women's skeleton world championship race are later Thursday.
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