Bobsleighworld cup 2020/21
Adam Pretty (Adam Pretty (Phot
Bob World Cup: the German phenomenon updates new records, the Austrian takes home the crystal ball.
Sunday 31 January 2021 6 minutes reading time
Two days of legend for Francesco Friedrich, increasingly in the history of the discipline. On Saturday the conquest of the fourth bobsleigh World Cup for two, sowing again all the opponents in both heats of the Igls race and hitting the 11th seasonal success out of 12 races, worst result on the Austrian track a second place that says it long on the perfection of the Pirna phenomenon.
According to a discovery Oskars Kimbermanis, who does not lose too much in the push phase from the German but pays duty slowly and inexorably even without making mistakes throughout the rest of the track, and on the last step of the podium following an excellent second run , ranks Rostislav Gatiukevich, in his first top 3 in his career and who breaks a fast from the podium for the Russian athletes who in this specialty lasted even from the 2016/17 season. Excellent fourth place for the Czech Dvorak, who equals the best result in his career while the main rival of Friedrich, Johannes Lochner, concludes with a disappointing fifth place.
Good performance for the blue crew made up of Mattia Variola with brakeman Eric Fantazzini, two brave runs even if with some imperfections that led them to the final 16th place. On the contrary, a colorless test, precise but not very fast, for Patrick Baumgartner with brakeman Costantino Ughi, who finished in 21st place. In the women's monobob race, second success of the season for the Australian Breena Walker who precedes Elana Meyers-Taylor, second consecutive place of honor for the American, and the Canadian Melissa Lotholz. Down from the podium the other Canadian Appiah while disappointing the Teutonic trio.
Today, however, not even the fog descended on Igls in the second run prevented Friedrich from continuing to expand his trophy room. All victories (4) in this 4-man bobsleigh season, with the third consecutive World Cup, 52nd career victory and for the fourth time winner of the cup that adds up the points of the two specialties. Mind-boggling numbers. Once again the first of the humans is the Austrian Benjamin Maier, now a certainty in the upper levels of the ranking and with a more contained gap than the latest releases, especially in the partial of the second run while the third place is occupied by the Canadian Justin Kripps.
At the foot of the podium the other German Lochner, a bit disappointing today, precedes the Latvian Kimbermanis and the Russian Gaitiukevich, who confirmed himself at high levels after yesterday's podium. The only blue crew in the race was Baumgartner / Pagnini / Fantazzini / Variola, who finished in 20th place. Two mirrored heats despite Baumgartner's first run having to make a marked correction in the central part of the track. In the women's race Katrin Beierl hits her third podium of the season, the sweetest since in the home race she gives her the first historic affirmation for the red and white colors in the general classification of the women's bob.
Race on the edge of the cents for the first five positions, with the Austrian who is just ahead of the two Canadians, with Cynthia Appiah to precede Melissa Lothoz, and behind the two American teams with Kaillie Humphries, today paired with the '' former hurdler Lolo Jones, to overtake his compatriot Elana Meyers-Taylor, albeit for only 4 cents, in the second run. Disappointing weekend, the only one in the season after 7 victories, for the Germans with Kalicki in seventh place followed by Buckwitz and Jamanka.
The blue: Giada Andreutti together with brakeman Anna Schenk, finish in 17th place. Next week the seasonal highlight in Altenberg, where the 2021 bobsleigh and skeleton world championships will be staged.
Matteo Collodoro
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