British world champion Shelley Rudman claims there is room for improvement after her first official practice runs for this this week's Olympic skeleton event in Sochi.
Rudman, an Olympic silver medallist in 2006, was 15th and 16th quickest in her timed runs down the technical course at the Sanki Sliding Centre.
"There are still a few elements that I'm working on and I'm not quite as fast as I should be on the course but I'm hoping I can put things together," she said.
"I whiplashed myself at the beginning of the season in October so it's just an ongoing thing that I'm managing.
"So far it's holding up, I just need it for another week, as long as I can get lots of physio on it, then I'm okay.
"I think the competition is going to be really exciting to watch and definitely Great Britain with Lizzy (Yarnold), the Americans and the Germans are quite strong now.
"I think it's going to be quite an open race. It will be intriguing."
World number one Yarnold was first and fourth quickest in yesterday's practice runs while Russian pair Maria Orlova and Olga Potylitsina, who have focussed much of their season on training in Sochi as opposed to World Cup racing, also caught the eye.
Great Britain's Kristan Bromley, competing at his fourth Olympics, was 12th and eighth fastest in men's practice while team-mate Dominic Parsons posted two 17th places.
All skeleton sliders will get four more practice runs on the course before their events start later this week.
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