GB BOBSLEIGH chief Gary Anderson has hailed the performances of the teams led by Wiltshire pilots John Jackson and Paula Walker in the opening round of the World Cup series in America.

Former world junior champion Walker, who lives with Jackson in Paxcroft Mead,  clinched sixth place at Lake Placid on Friday, with brakewoman Gillian Cooke.

Meanwhile, Jackson put down a fine marker for the rest of the campaign by clinching seventh in the men's four-man event on Saturday.

Jackson, plus his crew of Stuart Benson, Bruce Tasker and Joel Fearon, clocked 1:51.12 to finish just under a second behind the winning Russia 1 crew.

Jackson had finished a disappointing 23rd with brakeman John Baines in the two-man event a day earlier.

Performance director Anderson said: "We always said that top eight is our aim at World Cups so have to be happy to exceed that.''

The series moves on to Park City, Utah, late this week.

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