WHISTLER, B.C. - Canada's skeleton and bobsled teams dominated the podium Thursday at a World Cup stop in Whistler.
Mellisa Hollingsworth of Eckville, Alta., won skeleton World Cup gold while Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries and Emily Baadsvik followed up with a gold finish in women's bobsled later in the evening.
Teammates Helen Upperton and brakewoman Shelly-Ann Brown also made the podium and captured a bronze in a two-run time of one minute 47.09 seconds behind Calgary's Humphries and Baadsvik.
Germany's 2006 Olympic Champions Sandra Kiriasis and Berit Wiacker placed second in 1:46.76.
Hollingsworth celebrated what she called the most significant win of her career at a track that has plagued her since finishing fifth at the 2010 Winter Games.
"I expected to be winning here a couple of years ago and this track has haunted me ever since," said Hollingsworth. "Today is about redemption and a sense of relief."
She finished in a two-run time of one minute 49.79 seconds, while Lucy Katherine Chaffer of Australia finished second in 1:49.79 and Shelley Rudman (1:50.36) of the United Kingdom was third.
Calgary's Sarah Reid was sixth while Amy Gough of Abbotsford B.C., was seventh.
The result moved Hollingsworth up the season's standings to third with 1250 points. Germany's Marion Thees continues to hold the top spot with Rudman in second.
Finishing at the top after the first heat brought familiar flood of emotions that reminded Hollingsworth of the Vancouver Games.
"As I was warming up, it felt eerie because it was the same month, same setting sun and same place after the second run as that day in 2010," she said. "I know that I am my own worst enemy but I had to block it out and respect the track."
Hollingsworth's win is her seventh gold medal for a total of 31 World Cup medals in 98 races over her 17-year career. She won silver on the same track at last year's World Cup race in Whistler.
"I had to focus on me and my sled," Hollingsworth said. "Finishing on the podium last year was the first step. This is my home track and I can slide the fastest here."
It was Chaffer's first podium of her career. A relative rookie to the world cup circuit, the result exceeded her expectations.
"I didn't know I could go that fast and do it consistently," Chaffer said. "I like the atmosphere on this track. It's weird but I can relax here."
Canada's bobsled athletes also relaxed and let their sleds fly on the Whistler Sliding Centre track.
Humphries and Baadsvik's podium finish was the third for the duo this season and ranks them sixth in this season's standings. They won a gold medal together for the first time in December in La Plagne, France.
"I was pushing for a great run," Humphries said. "My driving is the most consistent on this track and we proved that today with a win. I knew as long as I stayed focused we could have a podium finish."
Germany's Cathleen Martini and Berit Wiacker lead the World Cup standings.
Humphries, from Calgary, won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with brakewoman Heather Moyse, who's now retired from the sport.
Second-place finisher Upperton was contemplating retirement but couldn't resist coming back for another shot at the World Championships.
"This is my 10th year in the sport and with 19 World Cup medals, I am still missing that world championship medal," Upperton said. "We figured that we'd come back mid-season and give it another shot.
"We were really excited to be here racing.