Winter Olympics: Sandford drives his way to top-20 finish

Ben Sandford struggled to recover fully from a training crash. Photo / AP

Ben Sandford's driving ability ensured him a spot in the final of the men's skeleton at the Sochi Games, where he finished in 20th place.

Coming into the four-race series in 26th place, the three-time Olympian finished as the highest mover in the field, gaining six places and a combined time of 3m 51.21s.

Although he improved on his rankings during competition, Sandford had been aiming for the top 10.

The Rotorua-based athlete had struggled to fully recover from a training crash during the final weeks of Olympic qualification.

Although he drove strongly on the 17-curve course, he was unable to gain crucial time lost in the push to achieve his goal.

Sanford had placed inside the top 10 on the same course at the Olympic test event last year.

"Push time has a direct correlation to down time," explained the Winter Performance Programme director, Ashley Light.

"Ben is an exceptional driver but was unable to make up for his slower starts," Light said.

"It was unfortunate that his lack of complete recovery didn't let him push at the competitive end of the field. But to be able to get inside that top 20 is testament to his fortitude, experience and determination."