In a little over a year since her World Cup debut, Mystique Ro became the first American skeleton athlete to win on the circuit in eight years.
Ro, 30, prevailed at the season-ending World Cup in Lake Placid, New York.
She edged world silver medalist Kim Meylemans of Belgium by two hundredths of a second, combining times from two runs.
“It’s been a very emotional last few weeks of the season, just dealing with injuries and just trying to keep it together,” Ro, who wiped away tears, told the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
Ro became the first American to win a World Cup since Annie O’Shea in January 2016, ending the longest victory drought for the U.S. since the sport was re-added to the Olympics in 2002.
Ro competed in track and field at Queens University of Charlotte, graduating in 2016.
Starting in 2017, she had more than 30 races among the lower-level North American Cup, Europe Cup and Intercontinental Cup before making her debut on the top-level World Cup in January 2023.
She raced one World Cup last season, then was a regular this winter, making the podium in four of her seven starts.
The U.S. earned at least one World Cup victory in every sliding sport this season.
In December, Zack DiGregorio and Sean Hollander became the first U.S. doubles luge team to win a World Cup in 18 years.
In December and January, Kaysha Love won a pair of monobob races and could win another on Friday in Lake Placid.
