Once again, Canada’s Hallie Clarke has proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of skeleton racing. Last year, at just 19 years old, Clarke made headlines by becoming the youngest competitor to win the senior world championship in Winterberg, Germany. This past weekend, she added another impressive feat to her resume by clinching the world junior title, making her the first athlete ever to hold both global titles simultaneously.

Reflecting on her historic achievement, Clarke expressed her elation, stating, “My goal for this Olympic quadrennial was to be a junior champion, but to have both the junior and senior titles is extra special. There are no words to describe what I’m feeling. It’s a little funny that I was able to get both titles backwards by winning the senior first, but I learned so much from world championships last year.”

With this latest victory, Clarke joins an elite group of just five Canadians, including only two women, who have secured a senior world title. She credited her success to a shift in mindset, explaining, “My approach into this race was so different. There was a lot more confidence in my approach, not because of where I was or who I was racing against, but because of that experience in Winterberg last year.”

During the competition, Clarke dominated the field with the fastest times in both heats, ultimately clocking a combined time of two minutes and 19.46 seconds on the challenging non-refrigerated track. She attributed her strong performance to her recent participation in the World Cup event at the same venue, noting, “I think racing the World Cup here last week helped me a lot today. The extra time sliding on the track allowed me the time to really dial things in.”

Adding to the significance of her victory, Clarke was able to celebrate her win with her parents in attendance. She described the experience of sliding in St. Moritz as “magical,” emphasizing the unique beauty and smoothness of the track. Despite facing challenges earlier in the season, Clarke rediscovered her passion for the sport during the competition, which has bolstered her confidence as she looks ahead to the upcoming World Cup races and senior world championships.

In the women’s event, Switzerland’s Sara Schmied claimed second place with a time of 2:20.34, followed by Belgium’s Aline Pelckmans in third with a time of 2:20.40. Meanwhile, Calgary’s Josip Brusic represented Canada in the men’s event, finishing 18th overall.