Canada's Justin Kripps, Cam Stones, Ryan Sommer and Benjamin Coakwell in action during the first heat in the 4-man bobsleigh on Dec. 19, 2021.MATTHIAS RIETSCHEL/Reuters
Germany’s Francesco Friedrich won Saturday’s two-man bobsled race at Winterberg while Canada’s Justin Kripps was almost a second behind in third place.
Friedrich earned the 100th medal of his World Cup career, including one claimed in a team event in 2013. He teamed with Alexander Schueller to win in 1:49.78, getting his 13th victory in his last 14 World Cup two-man events.
Germany also got the silver, with the sled of Johannes Lochner and Florian Bauer finishing in 1:50.11. Kripps, from Summerland, B.C., and Cam Stones of Whitby, Ont., were third in 1:50.63.
Hunter Church and Charlie Volker were 13th for the U.S., and newly promoted Frank Del Duca teamed with Hakeem Abdul Saboor to finish 15th. It was Del Duca’s World Cup debut as a driver.
“This is one of Hunter’s best finishes this season, and Frank did a heck of a job in his very first World Cup on a new track with a new sled,” U.S. coach Mike Kohn said.
MONOBOB
Elana Meyers Taylor of the U.S. got her fourth women’s monobob victory of the season on Saturday, the 25th overall win of her career in major international competition.
Australia’s Breanna Walker was second, and Germany’s Laura Nolte was third. American Kaillie Humphries, a Calgary native, took fourth, meaning the Americans joined Canada as the only nations with two sleds in the top six spots.
Toronto’s Cynthia Appiah was fifth and Melissa Lotholz of Barrhead, Alta., was sixth for the Canadians.
Meyers Taylor had the fastest time in the first heat and the second-best time in the second heat. She finished in 1 minute, 58.76 seconds. Walker’s time was 1:58.93 and Nolte’s was 1:59.01.
Meyers Taylor has 19 wins in traditional two-person World Cup races, two more in world championship events and now four in monobob. The monobob event will be part of the Olympic program for the first time at the Beijing Games, meaning women’s bobsledders now have two medal events.
UP NEXT
Sunday has a women’s bobsled race, then a four-man event.
With files from The Canadian Press.