From Altenberg, GER
(January 22, 2023) – To say Brad Hall and the British bobsled team is on a roll is an understatement. Hall took gold in Lake Placid in the four-man race and really hasn’t looked back since.
Once again, Hall found himself atop the podium, and once again he had to hold off some outstanding teams to do so.
Hall led after one heat, but had the likes of Francesco Friedrich, Michael Vogt, and Johannes Lochner all within .12 going into the second run.
In a heavy snowfall Lochner went first and while his run was relatively clean, he lacked the speed needed to move up the order. Vogt was next, and once again put down a medal run to take the lead with only Friedrich and Hall to go.
Francesco Friedrich’s team gave him a third quickest start despite Friedrich’s injury, and the German pilot rewarded his team with a drive that was the fastest of the heat to that point.
That left Brad Hall, who was in search of his third four-man gold medal in four races and Great Britain’s first ever four-man bobsled European Championship. Hall’s team gave him the quick start of the competition with a 5.10 off the top. In heavy snowfall Hall needed to be flawless, and he effectively was as he edged Friedrich by just .09 over two heats to win gold.
The win was Hall’s third gold in four four-man races. It also gave Great Britain its first ever four-man bobsled European Championship.
Friedrich finished with a silver medal, and Vogt bronze. For Vogt, the four-man medal was his first of the season after a number of near misses.
Lochner finished the race in fourth, ahead of Markus Treichl in fifth. Christoph Hafer rounded out the top six.
Canada’s Taylor Austin finished 13th.
Hall’s victory pulled him even with Friedrich in World Cup points, with Lochner 117 points back in third. Treichl and Hafer round out the top five with two races to go in the World Cup season.
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Hall / Gulliver / Lawrence / Cackett | GBR | 4 | 5.16 | 5.10 | 54.56 | 54.76 | 1:49.32 |
| 2 | Friedrich / Margis / Bauer / Straub | GER | 7 | 5.16 | 5.16 | 54.58 | 54.83 | 1:49.41 |
| 3 | Vogt / Bieri / Knuser / mIchel | SUI | 10 | 5.27 | 5.23 | 54.66 | 54.88 | 1:49.54 |
| 4 | Lochner / Bauer / Bruckert / Rasp | GER | 5 | 5.18 | 5.19 | 54.68 | 55.07 | 1:49.75 |
| 5 | Treichl / Sammer / Stepan / Huber | AUT | 11 | 5.17 | 5.17 | 54.84 | 54.99 | 1:49.83 |
| 6 | Hafer / Salzer / Korona / Schneider | GER | 9 | 5.26 | 5.25 | 54.84 | 55.03 | 1:49.87 |
| 7 | Cipulis / Springis / Miknis / Lindenblats | LAT | 8 | 5.12 | 5.11 | 54.82 | 55.36 | 1:50.18 |
| 8 | Tentea / Daroczi / Pacioianu / Iordache | ROU | 1 | 5.34 | 5.35 | 55.21 | 55.55 | 1:50.76 |
| 9 | Follador / Jones / Hufschmid / Rolli | SUI | 12 | 5.25 | 5.26 | 55.30 | 55.52 | 1:50.82 |
| 10 | Baumgartner / Fantazzini / Mircea / Bilotti | ITA | 3 | 5.29 | 5.30 | 55.40 | 55.47 | 1:50.87 |
| 11 | Dvorak / Bures / Prochazka / Zalesky | CZE | 13 | 5.29 | 5.29 | 55.38 | 55.56 | 1:50.94 |
| 12 | Kallenda / Bebriss / Kaufmanis / Lazdans | LAT | 2 | 5.24 | 5.27 | 55.49 | 55.63 | 1:51.12 |
| 13 | Austin / Gray / de Souza / Murray-Law | CAN | 6 | 5.34 | 5.52 | 55.58 | 55.72 | 1:51.30 |
| 14 | Rohner / Wäschle / Ggiumma / Hersperger | SUI | 15 | 5.34 | 5.37 | 55.82 | 55.69 | 1:51.51 |
| 15 | Variola / Ragazzi / Batti / Obou | ITA | 16 | 5.27 | 5.36 | 56.58 | 55.75 | 1:52.33 |
| 16 | Dobes / Dobes / Svoboda / Hrazdil | CZE | 14 | 5.33 | 5.34 | 56.43 | 56.73 | 1:53.16 |
