Double Olympic gold medalist and seven-time World Champion Francesco Friedrich (GER) showed he is ready to reclaim the title in the IBSF World Cup with a double win at the season opener in Sigulda (LAT).
Friedrich won the first two-man race with Alexander Schueller by 42/100ths over the Latvian pair of Oskars Kibermanis and Matiss Miknis, then switched brakemen and paired with Martin Grothkopp for the second win. This one was by just 0.19, again over Kibermanis and Miknis.
Another Olympic gold medalist, Mariama Jamanka (GER), won the women’s 2. The top American sled, with Elana Meyers Taylor and Sylvia Hoffman ranked third after the first run, but their sled came in underweight and they were disqualified. Brittany Reinbolt and Lauren Gibbs finished fifth.
Russians swept the Skeleton events, with Olympic silver medalist Nikita Tregubov winning the men’s competition and Elena Nikitina – fourth in last year’s World Cup – won the women’s. Summaries:
IBSF World Cup
Sigulda (LAT) ~ 7-9 December 2018
(Full results here)
Men 2 I: 1. Francesco Friedrich/Alexander Schueller (GER), 1:39.97; 2. Oskars Kibermanis/Matiss Miknis (LAT), 1:40.39; 3. Benjamin Maier/Markus Miknis (AUT), 1:40.65; 4. Dominik Dvorak/Jakub Nosek (CZE), 1:40.89; 5. Maxim Andrianov/Ilya Malynh (RUS), 1:41.00. Also: 9. Codie Bascue/Hakeem Abdul-Saboor (USA), 1:41.03; … 17. Justin Olsen/Kyler Allison (USA), 1:42.44.
Men’s 2 II: 1. Francesco Friedrich/Martin Grothkopp (GER), 1:40.25; 2. Kibermanis/Miknis (LAT), 1:40.31; 3. Christoph Hafer/Tobias Schneider (GER), 1:40.50; 4. Nico Walther/Paul Krenz (GER), 1:40.57; 5. Andrianov/Malynh (RUS). Also: 14. Bascue/Abdul-Saboor (USA), 1:41.20; … 16. Justin Olsen/Adrian Adams (USA), 1:42.09.
Women’s 2: 1. Mariama Jamanka/Annika Drazek (GER), 1:42.68; 2. Nadezhda Sergeeva/Yulia Belomestnykh (RUS), 1:43.29; 3. Anna Koehler/Lisa Sophie Gericke (GER), 1:43.50; 4. Lubov Chernykh/Yulia Egoshenko (RUS), 1:43.59; 5. Brittany Reinbolt/Lauren Gibbs (USA), 1:44.07.
Men’s Skeleton: 1. Nikita Tregubov (RUS), 1:41.87; 2. Martins Dukurs (LAT), 1:42.24; 3. Sung-Bin Yun (KOR), 1:42.40; 4. Alexander Tretiakov (RUS), 1:42.42; 5. Felix Keisinger (GER), 1:42.85. Also: 14. Nathan Crumpton (USA), 1:44.67; … 17. Greg West (USA), 1:44.78; 18. Kyle Brown (USA), 1:44.96.
Women’s Skeleton: 1. Elena Nikitina (RUS), 1:45.12; 2. Elisabeth Maier (CAN), 1:45.42; 3. Tina Hermann (GER), 1:45.60; 4. Jane Channell (CAN), 1:45.69; 5. Jacqueline Loelling (GER), 1:45.92. Also: 11. Kendall Wesenberg (USA), 1:47.21; … 14. Savannah Graybill (USA), 1:47.65.
