Friedrich Holds Off Hall for Winterberg Gold

From Winterberg, GER

(January 8, 2023) – Francesco Friedrich has many races over the years and overcome various odds over that time. As the IBSF World Cup went into Winterberg, Friedrich had to battle 15 other teams plus a muscle injury to win the first four-man race of 2023.

Friedrich injured a muscle in sprint training over the break and has been unable to properly push a sled in Winterberg. A day after finishing sixth in the two-man competition where he was only able to push in the top 15, Friedrich’s four-man team of Thorsten Margis, Candy Bauer, and Alexander Schüller gave Friedrich a top three push in the first heat, and the German pilot used that to open up a .15 second lead on the field.

On the second run Friedrich’s team once again kept him in the race with a top 10 push, and that was plenty enough to keep the German pilot out front and to put him atop the podium.

The win for Friedrich was his 25th World Cup victory in four-man bobsled and fifth straight four-man victory in Winterberg. In 14 World Cup four-man races in Winterberg Friedrich has finished off of the podium once (fourth in January 2017).

Great Britain’s Brad Hall was sixth coming into the second heat. On the second run Hall’s team gave him the best start of the competition to work with and Hall took advanage. His drive was the quickest of the heat, and second quickest of the competition. Over the next few sleds nobody could match Hall’s start or downtime, and the British slider worked his way up the ladder. Eventually the gold medal would be decided between Hall and Friedrich, with Friedrich winning.

For Johannes Lochner, it initially looked as though he’d lose a spot after his second run. Lochner fell behind Hall, and would be no worse than sixth. Then, as Hall worked his way up the finishing order, Lochner followed, with him following Hall all the way to a spot on the podium.

The silver for Hall was his third four-man medal in four World Cup races this season. Lochner’s bronze was his second four-man medal of the season.

Germany’s Christoph Hafer entered the second heat in Winterberg in second place, only .15 behind Friedrich. His second run was bumpy, and the German pilot fell out of the medals, eventually finishing fourth.

Switzerland’s Michael Vogt finished fifth and Austria’s Markus Treichl sixth for each of their third top six in four races.

Canada’s Taylor Austin finished ninth for a top ten in just his second four-man race in Europe.

After four races, Francesco Friedrich has the point lead, 48 points ahead of Brad Hall. Johannes Lochner and Michael Vogt are the top four, with Markus Treichl fifth.

Results: