From Calgary, CAN
(Feb. 23, 2019) – Coming into the 2018/2019 season, German Mariama Jamanka had never won a World Cup gold medal, by the end of the season, she was a World Cup champion.
Jamanka didn’t have to win the race in Calgary to take the IBSF Crystal Globe, she simply needed to finish in the top half of the field. That didn’t stop her from setting the quick time in both heats to win the race by .31 over American Elana Meyers Taylor.
Meyers Taylor and brakewoman Lauren Gibbs had the quick start in both heats, but couldn’t match the speed that Jamanka could muster. They finished second, .11 ahead of Stephanie Schneider.
The three pilots atop the podium were also the three women atop the World Cup standings when all was said and done. Jamanka won the overall title, 116 points ahead of Schneider. Meyers Taylor finished third overall despite a first race disqualification setting her back early.
Kati Beierl finished fourth in the race, ahead of Nadezhda Sergeeva and Brittany Reinbolt who tied for fifth.
Aylsia Rissling finished seventh as the top-finishing Canadian. Teammate Kori Hol finished 12th in her first career World Cup race.
Nicole Vogt finished tied for eighth with Chinese pilot Qing Ying, who had the honor of being China’s first ever World Cup bobsled pilot.
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Jamanka / Drazek | GER | 4 | 5.62 | 5.63 | 56.65 | 56.98 | 1:53.63 |
| 2 | Meyers Taylor / Gibbs | USA | 10 | 5.59 | 5.57 | 56.84 | 57.10 | 1:53.94 |
| 3 | Schneider / Strack | GER | 6 | 5.68 | 5.67 | 56.96 | 57.09 | 1:54.05 |
| 4 | Beierl / Onasanya | AUT | 12 | 5.71 | 5.73 | 57.21 | 57.41 | 1:54.62 |
| 5 | Reinbolt / Davis | USA | 5 | 5.80 | 5.81 | 57.28 | 57.76 | 1:55.04 |
| 5 | Sergeeva / Shokshueva | RUS | 13 | 5.78 | 5.80 | 57.27 | 57.77 | 1:55.04 |
| 7 | Rissling / Serwaah | CAN | 1 | 5.82 | 5.85 | 57.29 | 57.77 | 1:55.06 |
| 8 | Vogt / Brundgardt | USA | 14 | 5.90 | 5.94 | 57.61 | 57.79 | 1:55.40 |
| 8 | Ying / Tan | CHN | 2 | 5.93 | 5.96 | 57.39 | 58.01 | 1:55.40 |
| 10 | Grecu / Puiu | ROU | 7 | 5.86 | 5.89 | 57.49 | 57.92 | 1:55.41 |
| 11 | Fontanive / Strebel | SUI | 11 | 5.82 | 5.88 | 57.43 | 58.04 | 1:55.47 |
| 12 | Hol / Lotholz | CAN | 15 | 5.74 | 5.81 | 57.62 | 58.13 | 1:55.75 |
| 13 | Vannieuwenuyse / Hubrect | BEL | 9 | 6.06 | 6.10 | 57.81 | 58.33 | 1:56.14 |
| 14 | Chernykh / Proshkina | RUS | 8 | 5.97 | 5.94 | 57.91 | 58.52 | 1:56.43 |
| 15 | Huai / Huang | CHN | 3 | 5.92 | 5.89 | 57.89 | 58.75 | 1:56.64 |
