FIT-AGAIN Shelley Rudman will have one particular target in mind when she rounds off her winter campaign at the World Championships in Germany next week.

The 29-year-old is reluctant to heap too much pressure on herself to claim gold at Konigssee after seeing her hopes of a first World Cup title thwarted by an ill-timed severe chest infection which hindered her performance at the championship-deciding final round in Italy earlier this month.

However, the Pewsey slider is well aware that her performance over the two days of competition are likely to have a massive bearing on her preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

After finishing sixth at the Olympics in Vancouver last February, the mum-of-one slipped out of the highest A category of funding she had received since her silver medal win at the preceding Games in Turin in 2006.

Both she and fiance Kristan Bromley, whose Bromley Technologies company designs and provides their sleds, raced on this year despite a lack of further sponsorship to help fund costs for the likes of travel, accommodation and nutritional advice.

Rudman, for whom Pewsey villagers have continued to raise further sponsorship, admits the search for sponsors has made life tough as she bids to stay at the top of the sport, but a top three finish in Konigsee could at least help ease the burden.

She told the Gazette & Herald: "One thing I'm really looking to do is to up my funding from the B category to the A and to do that I need to finish in the top three at the world championships.

"Funding is based solely on your results at world championships and Olympics so even though I have finished second in the World Cup series for the last two years, that doesn't count towards it.

"They take a two-year view on funding. I do get some prize money if I finish well in the World Cup, but it's not big money. It's just a little amount that helps towards next season.

"Back in Pewsey they have also held a few events to raise some money and I can't thank them enough for that.''

Rudman arrived in Germany on Sunday and, provided she has shaken off the effects of her illness, will be among those tipped to challenge Germany's Anja Huber, who claimed the World Cup crown, for medal glory.

She will compete alongside compatriot Donna Creighton in the women's event, but added: "At the end of each season I seem to jinx myself so I just want to go there and be healthy and just get two consistent days of competition in.''

UPDATES FROM SHELLEY'S PERFORMANCE AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS NEXT WEEK AT GAZETTEANDHERALD.CO.UK AND IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD