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Many are celebrating in Sigulda in the last round of the bobsleigh World Cup. The Latvian Oskars Kibermanis and Mattis Miknis celebrate and have many reasons: in race 1 they get the first success of their career in race 1 and the European title in race 2. Nadezhda Sergeeva and Elena Mamedova celebrate and give Russia their first historic victory in the women's bobsleigh World Cup. But the Germans Francesco Friedrich and Stephanie Schneider who raise the Crystal Ball to the sky also smile.
Monday 17 February 2020 4 minutes reading time
The last weekend of the maximum bobsleigh circuit opened with the historic victory of the Russian crew Sergeeva-Mamedova who preceded the surprising Romanian duo led by Andreea Grecu and Ioana Gheorghe by just two cents. The race that saw the absence of the American Kaillie Humphries who decided to desert the Baltic event to focus on the world championships in Altenberg, lived its climax with the splendid duel for success between Sergeeva and Grecu. Romania's bearer proved to be the most competitive in the push phase, while the Russian was much cleaner in the driven sections. To win it was Sergeeva who gave Russia the first overall victory in the women's World Cup circuit, while Grecu in addition to obtaining his personal best, as Eurosport commentator Massimiliano Ambesi recalls, brought Romania back to the bobsleigh podium after 33 years when Dorin Degan was third in Sarajevo in the four-man bobsleigh.
In the very short ranking of the women's race, the German Stephanie Schneider was placed in third place, preceding the compatriot and dominatrix of the last season Mariama Jamanka, conquering her first World Cup of her career.
In the men's field, a big party for Latvia with an unbeatable Oskars Kibermanis on the gut at home. The Baltic first folded the German phenomenon Francesco Friedrich by just 7 cents, and then in race 2 valid for the European Championship he predecided the surprising Swiss Simon Friedli. In both competitions the Canadian Justin Kripps finished on the third step of the podium. The general classification was won for the second consecutive year by Francesco Friedrich who, 2 weeks after the conquest of the four-man bobsled crystal ball, took home the third two-man bobsled world cup.
Also noteworthy is the return after almost two seasons of Oskars Melbardis' stop. The talented Latvian driver hit fifth place in the second scheduled race, but above all he obtained following the disqualification of the Russian Alexander Zubkov, the Olympic gold medal for four-man bobsleigh and the bronze one for two-man bobsleigh of the Olympics in Sochi 2014.
In Latvia there was only one crew to defend the Italian colors. To pilot it was the Pordenone Mattia Variola who got a nineteenth and an eighteenth place.
Once the World Cup season is over, the protagonists of the world bobsleigh will be busy starting next weekend at the World Championships in Altenberg, where Francesco Friedrich will once again be the most awaited driver.
#FRIEDRICH #BOBITALIA #BOBAZZURRO #MELBARDIS
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