This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sochi, Russia — As expected, skeleton slider Noelle Pikus-Pace did not take her final two training runs Tuesday before her long-awaited run for gold at the Sochi Olympics.
The Orem native and Eagle Mountain resident has been battling a back problem, and her coach said Monday that she planned to take just two of her four allowable runs before the competition starts Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center.
"We don't want to put too much stress on her body," coach Tuffy Latour said.
Pikus-Pace is one of the two favorites to finally win gold after a star-crossed career, along with top rival Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain. Each won four of the eight races on the World Cup tour this season, and Yarnold was fastest in three of the four training runs.
- Michael C. Lewis