A mistake on the first of their two runs meant Braintree’s Aleasha Kiddle and Mica McNeill were unable to secure a top-ten finish at the latest round of the FIBT Bobsleigh World Cup in Altenberg in Germany.

Having been brakewoman behind Victoria Olaoye in the first two World Cup events of the season in America and Canada before Christmas, Kiddle joined Team GB driver McNeill in the two women’s bobsleigh event as the circuit headed back to Europe.

It is the former Braintree and District Athletic Club sprint star’s first-ever season in bobsleigh after being identified at a talent-spotting event last year and she is already making an impact on the international stage in her new sport.

Kiddle and Olaoye were placed eighth at the season’s opener at Lake Placid in the US then achieved the same result at Calgary in Canada in the last event of 2015.

However, an injury to Olaoye sidelined her for the third event of the winter and Kiddle linked up with McNeill for the Altenberg round.

The British duo had a disappointing opening run after clipping the side of the track and a sideways slide meant they could only manage 12th position heading into heat two.

They were trailing championship leaders Elana Meyers Taylor and Cherrelle Garrett by 1.55 seconds and knew they would have to pull out a better second run to make up time.

And that was exactly what the British pairing produced.

McNeill guided their bobsleigh down the 1.4 kilometre track almost half a second quicker on the second run, however, the time damage had already been done on the first outing.

It meant they were unable to improve on their opening position and Kiddle and McNeill ended the round placed 12th, 2.16 seconds behind the winners Meyers Taylor and Garrett.

The next round of the FIBT World Cup is due to be held at Königssee in Germany next weekend.