Shelley Rudman
Encyclopedia
Shelley Rudman is a British
Olympic athlete. She won a silver medal
at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in skeleton
; the only medal for Great Britain at the games. She originates from Pewsey
, Wiltshire
, and now lives in Sheffield
, England
.
She took up the sport of skeleton after watching Briton Alex Coomber
win a bronze medal at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics
. A year later in 2003, she was placed 10th in the World Junior Championships for skeleton. In 2004 she won the Europa Cup in Igls, Austria
. In 2005 she won gold in the World University Games.
4000 to pay for a new professional sled
. Her home town held a special canoe
race to help raise the money, and they succeeded. Rudman also spent some time as a supply teacher in Devizes School, a secondary school located in Devizes
, Wiltshire.
By the time the 2006 Winter Olympics began in Turin
, Shelley said she was aiming for a top 10 position; however, during a practice run she had the fastest time, even beating the World Champion of the time. This great performance in the practice run made the public become aware of her. In the first heat, she was 4th; however, after a brilliant second heat, she finished with a silver medal. Live television pictures were shown from her local pub, where a large crowd that had gathered to watch her race were cheering and celebrating her victory. The 2006 Olympics were only intended to be a stepping-stone for her as training for the 2010 Winter Olympics
.
was 10th in the women's skeleton event at St. Moritz
in 2007
.
She sat out the 2007-08 Skeleton World Cup
season to give birth to her daughter Ella Marie, and made an impact on her return to the sport for the 2008-09 season. Shelley won the 2008-09 Skeleton World Cup event at Igls
, Austria
on 12 December 2008. She then earned her second medal of her 2008/09 World Cup campaign with a silver medal at Konigssee
in Germany, in January 2009.
Success continued as Shelley won the 2009 European Bob Skeleton Championships at the St Moritz track in Switzerland, breaking the track record with a time of 1:09.97 on her second run. She finished the season 2nd in the overall World Rankings published by the FIBT.
Round 1: Park City, USA — 4th place
Round 2: Lake Placid
, USA — Silver Medal (2nd place)
Round 3: Cesana (Torino), Italy — Gold Medal (1st place)
Round 4: Winterberg
, Germany — 4th place
Round 5: Altenberg
, Germany — 7th place
Round 6: Konigssee
, Germany — Bronze Medal (3rd place)
Round 7: St Moritz, Switzerland — Gold Medal (1st place)
Round 8: Igls, Austria — 4th place
The Igls race also counted as the 2010 European Championships, and Shelley finished with the Bronze Medal in 3rd place.
, with Kristan Bromley
and Adam Pengilly
in the men's competition.
Rudman was the flagbearer for Britain at those games.
She finished 6th overall in the women's skeleton, with fellow team member Amy Williams
winning the gold.
and Nicola Minichiello (Bobsleigh).
's company, Bromley Technologies Ltd, at the Advanced Manufacturing Park
(AMP).
, with whom she has had a child, born in October 2007.
Rudman and Bromley ICE are sponsored by global marketing agency, GyroHSR and the British shaving and skin care company King of Shaves
. Kristan was also sponsored by King of Shaves
for two years.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Olympic athlete. She won a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
; the only medal for Great Britain at the games. She originates from Pewsey
Pewsey
Pewsey is a large village, often considered a small town, at the centre of the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire about west of London. It is well connected to London, the West Country and Wales being close to the M4 motorway and the A303. Also, the village is served by Pewsey railway station on the...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, and now lives in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
She took up the sport of skeleton after watching Briton Alex Coomber
Alex Coomber
Alexandra "Alex" Coomber is a British skeleton racer who competed in the late 1990s and early 2000s...
win a bronze medal at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
. A year later in 2003, she was placed 10th in the World Junior Championships for skeleton. In 2004 she won the Europa Cup in Igls, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. In 2005 she won gold in the World University Games.
2006 Winter Olympics
In order for her to take part in the 2006 Olympics, Shelley needed £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
4000 to pay for a new professional sled
Sled
A sled, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle with a smooth underside or possessing a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners that travels by sliding across a surface. Most sleds are used on surfaces with low friction, such as snow or ice. In some cases,...
. Her home town held a special canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
race to help raise the money, and they succeeded. Rudman also spent some time as a supply teacher in Devizes School, a secondary school located in Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
, Wiltshire.
By the time the 2006 Winter Olympics began in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Shelley said she was aiming for a top 10 position; however, during a practice run she had the fastest time, even beating the World Champion of the time. This great performance in the practice run made the public become aware of her. In the first heat, she was 4th; however, after a brilliant second heat, she finished with a silver medal. Live television pictures were shown from her local pub, where a large crowd that had gathered to watch her race were cheering and celebrating her victory. The 2006 Olympics were only intended to be a stepping-stone for her as training for the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
Skeleton World Cup Performances: 2007-09
Shelley's best finish at the FIBT World ChampionshipsFIBT World Championships
The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
was 10th in the women's skeleton event at St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
in 2007
FIBT World Championships 2007
The FIBT World Championships 2007 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record twenty-first time, doing so previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1989 , 1990 , 1997 , 1998 , and 2001...
.
She sat out the 2007-08 Skeleton World Cup
2007-08 Skeleton World Cup
The 2007–2008 Skeleton World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for skeleton. The season started on 26 November 2007 and ended on 24 February 2008. The World Cup is organised by the FIBT who also run world cups and championships in bobsleigh....
season to give birth to her daughter Ella Marie, and made an impact on her return to the sport for the 2008-09 season. Shelley won the 2008-09 Skeleton World Cup event at Igls
Igls bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Olympic Sliding Centre Innsburck is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Igls, Austria . The most recent version of the track was completed in 1975 and is the first permanent, combination artificially refrigerated bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, serving as a model for other...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
on 12 December 2008. She then earned her second medal of her 2008/09 World Cup campaign with a silver medal at Konigssee
Königssee
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria...
in Germany, in January 2009.
Success continued as Shelley won the 2009 European Bob Skeleton Championships at the St Moritz track in Switzerland, breaking the track record with a time of 1:09.97 on her second run. She finished the season 2nd in the overall World Rankings published by the FIBT.
FIBT World Cup: 2009/10 Season
Shelley repeated her feat of finishing the season in 2nd place overall in the World Cup, behind champion Melissa Hollingsworth of Canada. Highlights of the season were two Gold medal wins in Cesana and St. Moritz. The season's results were;Round 1: Park City, USA — 4th place
Round 2: Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, USA — Silver Medal (2nd place)
Round 3: Cesana (Torino), Italy — Gold Medal (1st place)
Round 4: Winterberg
Winterberg
Winterberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and a major winter sport resort of the Wintersport Arena Sauerland.-Geography:...
, Germany — 4th place
Round 5: Altenberg
Altenberg
Altenberg is a German language place name and may refer to:Places in Germany:*Altenberg, Germany, a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany...
, Germany — 7th place
Round 6: Konigssee
Königssee
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria...
, Germany — Bronze Medal (3rd place)
Round 7: St Moritz, Switzerland — Gold Medal (1st place)
Round 8: Igls, Austria — 4th place
The Igls race also counted as the 2010 European Championships, and Shelley finished with the Bronze Medal in 3rd place.
2010 Winter Olympics
On 29 January 2010, Rudman was officially announced as part of the Team GB Skeleton Bobsleigh squad to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Other squad members included Amy WilliamsAmy Williams
Amy Joy Williams MBE is an English skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath...
, with Kristan Bromley
Kristan Bromley
Kristan Bromley is a British skeleton racer who has competed since 1996. He won the gold medal in the men's event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany...
and Adam Pengilly
Adam Pengilly
Adam Pengilly is a British skeleton racer who has competed since 2004. He won a silver medal in men's skeleton event at the FIBT World Championships 2009 in Lake Placid....
in the men's competition.
Rudman was the flagbearer for Britain at those games.
She finished 6th overall in the women's skeleton, with fellow team member Amy Williams
Amy Williams
Amy Joy Williams MBE is an English skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath...
winning the gold.
Sponsorship
Shelley is supported by Bromley Technologies' Formula Ice 2010 programme. This sponsorship funded, high performance sports engineering initiative operates similarly to a mini Formula One team and seeks to add value to athlete performance through technological innovation and expertise. This unique programme currently supports Shelley, Kristan BromleyKristan Bromley
Kristan Bromley is a British skeleton racer who has competed since 1996. He won the gold medal in the men's event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany...
and Nicola Minichiello (Bobsleigh).
Equipment
Shelley uses skeleton bobsleighs designed and manufactured by fiance Kristan BromleyKristan Bromley
Kristan Bromley is a British skeleton racer who has competed since 1996. He won the gold medal in the men's event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany...
's company, Bromley Technologies Ltd, at the Advanced Manufacturing Park
Advanced Manufacturing Park
The Advanced Manufacturing Park is a manufacturing technology park on the Rotherham/Sheffield border in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, facing the Sheffield Business Park across the Parkway...
(AMP).
Personal life
Rudman is now engaged to fellow British skeleton competitor, Kristan BromleyKristan Bromley
Kristan Bromley is a British skeleton racer who has competed since 1996. He won the gold medal in the men's event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany...
, with whom she has had a child, born in October 2007.
Rudman and Bromley ICE are sponsored by global marketing agency, GyroHSR and the British shaving and skin care company King of Shaves
King of Shaves
The King of Shaves Company, Ltd. is a British toiletries company headquartered in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, with an office in New York City, and employing approximately 22 people. The King of Shaves brand was founded in 1993 by Will King. The company was spun off from Knowledge &...
. Kristan was also sponsored by King of Shaves
King of Shaves
The King of Shaves Company, Ltd. is a British toiletries company headquartered in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, with an office in New York City, and employing approximately 22 people. The King of Shaves brand was founded in 1993 by Will King. The company was spun off from Knowledge &...
for two years.
External links
- Official website
- Supporters website
- Bromley Technologies website
- Shelley Rudman Page on her sponsor's (King of ShavesKing of ShavesThe King of Shaves Company, Ltd. is a British toiletries company headquartered in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, with an office in New York City, and employing approximately 22 people. The King of Shaves brand was founded in 1993 by Will King. The company was spun off from Knowledge &...
) website