Mellisa Hollingsworth is a Canadian athlete who has competed since 1995. She won the bronze medal in the women’s skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. She also won a silver in the women’s skeleton event at the 2000 FIBT World Championships in Igls, Austria. She won the women’s Skeleton World Cup overall title both in 2005-6 and in 2009–10.
Hollingsworth is the cousin of Ryan Davenport, who won three medals in the men’s skeleton event at the FIBT World Championships in the late 1990s. Mellisa Hollingsworth considered quitting the sport of skeleton when she wasn’t named to the 2002 Canadian Olympic Team. Thankfully, for her, and Canada, she didn’t. Mellisa’s World Cup season leading up to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games redefined the term “hot streak”.
After lengthy discussions with her coach during the off-season, and mapping out a new competitive strategy, Mellisa, from Eckville, Alta., kicked off the pivotal season by winning her first World Cup in 10 years of racing, and became the first athlete in the history of the sport to never finish out of the top three for the rest of the year. Mellisa won the Overall World Cup title in 2006, and slid to a historic bronze-medal finish in Torino at the Olympic Winter Games. With a mission of winning Olympic gold, Mellisa was on-pace to achieve her goals at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
With the nation watching, Mellisa headed into those Games ranked number-one in the world with her second Overall World Cup title. Sitting in second spot heading into the final run, Mellisa pushed a personal best start time her final trip down the track, but made a costly error while taking a risk to accomplish her mission. Mellisa finished a heart-breaking fifth. Gutsy, courageous and determined, Mellisa is proud of her accomplishments, but her competitive goals are not yet achieved. She will be back chasing gold in 2014!
Mellisa grew up as a country girl on a ranch. Raised around horses while hanging out with cowboys and cowgirls on the family farm, rodeo was a tradition richly engrained in this naturally gifted Alberta rancher. When Mellisa was not pursuing excellence in a multitude of sports, she was often and still can be found riding horses or taking in the local rodeo. Prior to your skeleton career, Mellisa ran track and played basketball at a provincial level. She was introduced to skeleton and the idea of the Olympics by cousin, and two-time World Skeleton Champion, Ryan Davenport.
Achievements of Mellisa Hollingsworth in women’s skeleton event
Olympic Games
- Bronze 2006 Turin Women
World Championships
- Silver 2000 Igls Women
- Silver 2012 Lake Placid Women
- Bronze 2011 Königssee Women
- Bronze 2011 Königssee Mixed team
- Bronze 2012 Lake Placid Mixed team
- 2012/13 World Cup Lake Placid, NY, USA 2nd
- 2011/12 World Cup Lake Placid, NY, USA 2nd
- 2011/12 World Cup Whistler, BC, Canada 1st
- 2011/12 World Cup Kongissee, Germany 3rd
- 2011/12 World Cup La Plange, France 1st
- 2011/12 World Cup Igls, Austria 3rd
- 2010/11 World Cup Overall: 3rd
- 2010/11 World Cup Whistler, BC, Canada: 2nd
- 2010/11 World Cup Igls, Austria: 3rd
- 2010/11 World Cup St. Moritz, Switzerland: 2nd
- 2009-10 World Cup Overall: 1st
- 2009-10 World Cup Igls, Austria: 3rd
- 2009-10 World Cup St. Mortiz, Switzerland: 2nd
- 2009-10 World Cup Königssee, Germany: 1st
- 2009-10 World Cup, Cesana, Italy: 3rd
- 2009-10 World Cup, Winterberg, Germany: 2nd
- 2009-10 World Cup Lake Placid: 1st
- 2009-10 World Cup Park City: 3rd
- 2008-09 World Cup, Park City #1: 1st
- 2008-09 World Cup, Park City #2: 3rd
- 2008-09 World Cup, St. Moritz: 2nd
- 2008-09 World Cup, Winterberg: 3rd
- 2007-08 World Cup, overall points: 3rd
- 2007-08 Canadian Champion
- 2007-08 World Cup, Calgary: 2nd
- 2007-08 World Cup, St. Moritz: 3rd
- 2005-06 Olympic Winter Games, Torino: 3rd
- 2005-06 World Cup, overall points: 1st
- 2005-06 World Cup, Calgary: 1st
- 2005-06 World Cup, Lake Placid: 2nd
- 2005-06 World Cup, Igls: 2nd
- 2005-06 World Cup, Sigulda: 3rd
- 2005-06 World Cup, Konigssee: 1st
- 2005-06 World Cup, St. Moritz: 2nd
- 2005-06 World Cup, Altenberg: 3rd
- 2005-06 Canadian Championships: 2nd
- 2004-05 World Cup, Igls: 3rd
- 2003-04 World Cup, Calgary: 3rd
- 2002-03 World Cup, St. Moritz: 2nd
- 2000 World Championship: 2nd
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