Degenhardt/Rosenthal Win St. Moritz Gold, Vötter/Oberhofer Clinch Title

From St. Moritz, SUI

(February 18, 2023) – Jessica Degenhardt and Cheynne Rosenthal took gold in St. Moritz as they edged out Italy’s Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer by the slimmest of margins.

Germany’s Degenhardt and Rosenthal were .129 behind the Italians after one heat, with the remainder of the field nearly a half of a second back. But on their second run the Germans were the only team of the medal contenders to go faster on their second effort as they took the lead with only Vötter and Oberhofer to go.

Vötter and Oberhofer set the quick start time of the race to begin their second run and early on it seemed as though they would cruise to victory. However an ill-timed skid began to sink their time, and a rough exit out of the finish curve put the Italians behind Degenhardt and Rosenthal by .002 at the end of their run to give the Germans the win.

The gold for Degenhardt and Rosenthal was their second in three World Cup races. The duo has finished on the podium all but twice.

For Vötter and Oberhofer, their silver continued a season-long streak of podium finishes.

Junior World Cup champions Viktorija Ziedina and Selina Zvilna finished the race in third, over a second behind the leaders and just ahead of Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Kipp in fourth.

USA’s Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby, and Austrian newcomers Lisa Zimmerman and Dorothea Schwarz rounded out the top six.

Vötter and Oberhofer’s silver medal clinched their World Cup overall title with one race to go. Behind them, Egle and Kipp have just a two point advantage over Degenhardt and Rosenthal, making the season finale in Winterberg a slide-off for second place overall.

USA’s Forgan and Kirkby are fourth overall with one race to go, with Latvia’s Anda Upite and Sanija Ozolina in fifth, only three points back.

Results: