From Altenberg, GER
If you’re going to only get one gold medal on home ice, four-man bobsled is probably the one you’re going to want to get. Nico Walther, who wrecked in Lake Placid, finished third on home ice in two-man bobsled, and ups it to a gold medal for four-man bobsled. Two big starts and two very quick runs put the German ahead of Latvian Oskars Melbardis. Melbardis takes silver and the four-man World Cup point lead despite the fastest run in Run 2. Rico Peter of Switzerland continues his career best-season with a bronze medal in Altenberg. Oskars Kibermanis takes fourth and Alexander Kasjanov fifth.
The Americans will be glad to see Altenberg in their mirror. The 2010 Olympic champion Steven Holcomb led the way in ninth, while Codie Bascue finished 12th and Nick Cunningham 17th.
Justin Kripps led the way for Canada, and North America, with a 7th place finish. Teammate Chris Spring comes into Altenberg, a track where he wrecked so hard before, and finished 10th in his return.
German favorite Max Arndt wrecked in his first run, and despite receiving a time for the first run, was pulled out of the race before Run 2.
Results:
Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
1 | Walther/Bredau/Hübenbecker/Poser | GER | 17 | 53.96 | 54.15 | 1:48.11 |
2 | Melbardis/Dreiskenns/Vilkaste/Strenga | LAT | 8 | 54.10 | 54.05 | 1:48.15 |
3 | Peter/van der Zijde/Amrhein/Friedli | SUI | 1 | 54.32 | 54.46 | 1:48.78 |
4 | Kibermanis/Lusis/Zirups/Leiboms | LAT | 11 | 54.39 | 54.48 | 1:48.87 |
5 | Kasjanov/Mokrousov/Huzin/Pushkarev | RUS | 10 | 54.32 | 54.58 | 1:48.90 |
6 | Friedrich/Speer/Bluhm/Margis | GER | 3 | 54.19 | 54.72 | 1:48.91 |
7 | Kripps/Nnemet/Barnett/Coakwell | CAN | 7 | 54.63 | 54.70 | 1:49.33 |
8 | Andrianov/Utkin/Antukh/Kondrate | RUS | 18 | 54.84 | 54.50 | 1:49.34 |
9 | Holcomb/Olsen/Clark/Cremin | USA | 4 | 54.66 | 54.81 | 1:49.47 |
10 | Spring/Plug/Kopacz/Kirkpatrick | CAN | 2 | 54.84 | 54.82 | 1:49.66 |
11 | Vrba/Suchy/Dvorak/Nosek | CZE | 15 | 54.70 | 55.00 | 1:49.70 |
12 | Bascue/Victorian/Harrison/Valdes | USA | 5 | 54.81 | 55.17 | 1:49.98 |
13 | Stulnev/Koshelev/Menkov/Selikhov | RUS | 12 | 55.11 | 54.89 | 1:50.00 |
14 | Bertazzo/Ughi/Rosa/Costa | ITA | 13 | 55.07 | 54.98 | 1:50.03 |
15 | Costerg/Heinrich/Castell/Boutherin | FRA | 16 | 54.99 | 55.06 | 1:50.05 |
16 | Maier/Esterhammer/Sammer/Smetana | AUT | 14 | 55.05 | 55.12 | 1:50.17 |
17 | Cunningham/Wickline/Reed/Michener | USA | 6 | 55.09 | 55.27 | 1:50.36 |
18 | Grigore/Craciun/Salajan/Moldovan | ROU | 19 | 55.38 | 55.00 | 1:50.38 |
DNS | Arndt/Rödiger/Korona/Heber | GER | 9 | 55.19 | DNS |