Friedrich leads 4-man world bobsleigh title race as weather takes its toll on Lake Placid track

The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 4:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Germany's Francesco Friedrich is good connected his mode to different satellite bobsleigh title.

And that was astir the lone predictable improvement successful the four-man satellite title contention that started Friday astatine Mount Van Hoevenberg.

The 2nd vigor of the four-heat contention was cancelled — aft it had been tally successful its entirety — Friday due to the fact that of way conditions getting worse arsenic the aerial somesthesia climbed quickly, the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said.

That determination came aft Germany's Johannes Lochner had 1 of the runners attached to his sled damaged by sliding done bare spots connected the track. He besides had harm to the beforehand of his sled from thing that happened arsenic helium jumped successful astatine the start, which wouldn't person been caused by immoderate way information issue.

Germany successfully appealed and Lochner could person taken his 2nd tally again, but the assemblage decided that warmer aerial wouldn't person led to that re-run having a just result. So, the full vigor was cancelled.

"The contention volition resume (Saturday) arsenic planned with heats 3 and 4," the IBSF said.

Weather-permitting, that is.

It was astir -4 C when racing started Friday and climbed to astir 8 C erstwhile the four-man lawsuit was done for the morning. And the upwind forecast for Saturday calls for adjacent warmer air.

Friedrich — a 15-time satellite champion, with 9 two-man golds and 4 two-man golds connected his resume on with 2 much Olympic golds successful some disciplines — was going to beryllium the person anyway. His one-run clip is 54.23 seconds, with Lochner (54.52) 2nd and Britain's Brad Hall (54.54) third.

Had the 2nd tally counted, Hall would person been second, with Germany's Adam Ammour third, Frank Del Duca of the U.S. fourth, Kris Horn of the U.S. successful 5th and Lochner successful sixth. Instead, it's officially Friedrich, Lochner and Hall successful the apical 3 spots, followed by Ammour, Del Duca and past Horn and South Korea's Jinsu Kim tied for sixth.

"We've prepared. We're ready. It's conscionable clip to marque accordant runs," Del Duca said.

The four-man contention is scheduled to resume astatine 8 a.m. Saturday, followed by the last 2 runs of women's bobsleigh in the aboriginal afternoon.

Women's bobsleigh

The person committee aft Day 1 of the two-woman bobsleigh championship looks similar this: Germany, Germany, Germany, United States, United States, United States.

Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi finished their 2 runs successful 1 minute, 52.77 seconds, bully capable for a pb of 0.23 seconds implicit Kim Kalicki and Leonie Fiebig. Lisa Buckwitz and Kira Lipperheide capped disconnected the German grip connected the apical 3 spots Friday, finishing different two-tenths of a 2nd disconnected the lead.

WATCH | Canada's Lotholz, Walkeden beryllium 9th successful 2-woman bobsleigh astatine worlds:

Germany is looking to expanse the two-woman medals astatine the satellite championships for the 2nd consecutive year. A twelvemonth ago, Buckwitz drove to the win, with Nolte 2nd and Kalicki third.

World monobob champion Kaysha Love led the American contingent connected Day 1, aft she and Jazmine Jones were 4th successful 1:53.53. Kaillie Humphries and Emily Renna are 5th for the U.S., with Elana Meyers Taylor and Lolo Jones sixth.