ALTENBERG, Germany — The opening women’s bobsled World Cup race of the season took place on Sunday, and Germany achieved a clean sweep of the podium. The victorious duo of Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi led the way with a gold medal performance. Following them closely, Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten secured the silver, while Kim Kalicki and Lauren Siebert rounded out the top three for Germany with a bronze finish.

On the American side, Kaillie Humphries, paired with push athlete Jasmine Jones, piloted their sled to a fifth-place finish, representing the top U.S. performance in this event.

In the men’s four-man competition, which was limited to a single heat due to inclement weather, Francesco Friedrich of Germany clinched the victory. Notably, there was a tie for second place, with Austria’s Markus Treichl and Germany’s Johannes Lochner finishing in a draw. The U.S. four-man team, led by driver Frank del Duca, ended up in 13th position.

In luge action, Austria dominated the men’s World Cup race on their home track in Igls. Nico Gleirscher took first place, with Jonas Mueller following in second, and David Gleirscher capturing the third spot on the podium. Austria also made a splash with Wolfgang Kindl finishing fourth. The top American performer in this category was Jonny Gustafson, who placed 11th.

Additionally, a scheduled team relay event for later on Sunday was called off due to heavy snowfall.

Upcoming events include the luge World Cup at Oberhof, Germany, on December 14-15, and the bobsled World Cup at Sigulda, Latvia, on the same dates. Furthermore, skeleton races are set to take place at Sigulda, Latvia, this Friday.