IGLS, Austria — Francesco Friedrich from Germany celebrated a significant milestone on Sunday by clinching the IBSF four-man bobsled race, marking the 100th victory in his illustrious career spanning World Cup events and world championships.
Friedrich’s remarkable tally includes 35 triumphs in four-man World Cup races, alongside 51 victories in two-man events. His achievements also showcase eight world championship titles in the two-man category and six in the four-man category. Notably, four Olympic gold medals—two in two-man and two in four-man events—are not counted in these statistics.
Friedrich’s supremacy in the sport is unparalleled, as he has medaled in 31 out of his last 32 four-man World Cup races and in an impressive 60 of his last 62 two-man World Cup races; he secured a silver meda at Igls on Saturday in the two-man category. Over the course of his World Cup career, he has reached the podium in 142 of 197 races.
In Sunday’s four-man race, Brad Hall from Britain finished with the silver medal, while another German, Johannes Lochner, secured third place. Frank del Duca was the top American, concluding the race in 10th position.
In the later two-woman event, Germany showcased its dominance by sweeping the medals. Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi triumphed, taking gold, while Kim Kalicki and Leonie Fiebig earned silver, and Lisa Buckwitz together with Neele Schuten placed third. Elana Meyers Taylor, paired with Jasmine Jones, represented the U.S. and finished in a commendable fourth place.
In Winterberg, Germany, Jonas Mueller from Austria experienced a double-gold moment on Sunday, emerging victorious in the World Cup men’s singles race before contributing to his country’s success in the team relay. He edged out Max Langenhan from Germany for the singles win, with fellow Austrian Nico Gleirscher claiming third. Jonny Gustafson was the highest-placed American, finishing in 20th place.
Regarding the team relay, the Austrian contingent, which included Mueller, women’s singles competitor Madeleine Egle, men’s doubles pair Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schoepf, along with women’s doubles duo Selina Egle and Lara Kipp, finished first. Germany secured the second spot followed by Italy in third. The U.S. team placed fourth in the relay, buoyed by Emily Sweeney, who registered the fastest split among all women’s singles racers, thus concluding a successful weekend for her after earning a bronze in Saturday’s singles race.
Looking ahead, bobsled enthusiasts can anticipate the World Cup women’s monobob scheduled for Friday in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Meanwhile, luge competitions will resume with women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and women’s singles races on Saturday in Oberhof, Germany. The skeleton events will wrap up the World Cup season with finals for men’s, women’s, and mixed team categories taking place on February 7 at Lillehammer, Norway.
