From Lillehammer, NOR
(November 19, 2022) – Max Illmann and his four-man bobsled team cruised to victory to give Illmann his first ever four-man victory in European Cup action.
Illmann’s team gave him the quick start time in both heats, and Illmann handled the rest with the two fastest downtimes of the race on the way to a .71 victory over Latvia’s Emils Cipulis.
The win was Illmann’s first ever four-man gold in IBSF international competition. His previous best was a silver medal in Altenberg during the 2020/2021 season.
Cipulis also finished with a career-best finish with his silver medal. His previous best finish had been fifth, also in Lillehammer the previous season.
France’s Romain Heinrich won bronze, his best four-man finish since the 2019/2020 European Cup season in Lillehammer.
Germany’s Nico Semmler finished fourth, .03 ahead of Italy’s Patrick Baumgartner in 5th and Switzerland’s Timo Rohner sixth.
Great Britain’s John Stanbridge finished 15th in his first start as a four-man bobsled pilot. Monaco’s Boris Vain finished 16th, also making his four-man piloting debut.
Results:
Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
1 | Illmann / Proske / Tasche / Wobeto | GER | 8 | 5.02 | 4.99 | 50.85 | 51.01 | 1:41.86 |
2 | Cipulis / Springis / Kaufmanis / Nemme | LAT | 5 | 5.02 | 5.01 | 51.11 | 51.46 | 1:42.57 |
3 | Heinrich / Demarthon / Lefebvre / Laporal | FRA | 1 | 5.11 | 5.10 | 51.03 | 51.58 | 1:42.61 |
4 | Semmler / Ebert / Neumann / Becker | GER | 9 | 5.09 | 5.10 | 51.46 | 51.52 | 1:42.98 |
5 | Baumgartner / Fantazzini / Mircea / Bilotti | ITA | 4 | 5.05 | 5.06 | 51.22 | 51.79 | 1:43.01 |
6 | Rohner / Giumma / Rolli / Hersperger | SUI | 3 | 5.10 | 5.11 | 51.36 | 51.79 | 1:43.15 |
7 | Tentea / Daroczi / Pacioianu / Iordache | ROU | 10 | 5.13 | 5.12 | 51.78 | 51.61 | 1:43.39 |
8 | Kalenda / Bebriss / Ungurs / Klava | LAT | 17 | 5.12 | 5.14 | 51.70 | 51.75 | 1:43.45 |
9 | Dvorak / Havelka / Bures / Prochazka | CZE | 7 | 5.14 | 5.18 | 51.44 | 52.04 | 1:43.48 |
10 | Zern / Kosok / Schaller / Peth | GER | 16 | 5.14 | 5.18 | 51.74 | 51.83 | 1:43.57 |
11 | Variola / Pagnini / Obou / Colantoni | ITA | 2 | 5.12 | 5.21 | 51.64 | 52.01 | 1:45.65 |
12 | Ammour / Hertel / Stadelmann / Engelhardt | GER | 15 | 5.11 | 5.11 | 51.69 | 51.99 | 1:43.68 |
13 | Behounek / Wijas / Rapp / Fomenko | CZE | 11 | 5.19 | 5.24 | 51.87 | 52.24 | 1:44.11 |
14 | Baechler / Ambis / Adoui / Alais | FRA | 6 | 5.39 | 5.40 | 52.39 | 52.47 | 1:44.86 |
15 | Stanbridge / Hudson / Allner / Jenkins | GBR | 12 | 5.40 | 5.45 | 52.60 | 52.62 | 1:45.22 |
16 | Vain / Riou / Prevost / Vatrican | MON | 13 | 5.39 | 5.45 | 52.83 | 53.06 | 1:45.89 |
17 | Sobczyk / Nikodemczuk / Sosna / Kordasiewicz | POL | 14 | 5.44 | 5.47 | 53.11 | 53.36 | 1:46.47 |