From Igls, AUT
(February 1, 2024) – The final women’s monobob race of the 2023/2024 IBSF Europe Cup season saw a bunch of firsts, as the United States’ Sylvia Hoffman won the first gold medal of her career as a pilot and first medal as a pilot in Europe.
As it tends to be in Igls, the racing was tight after one heat, with Switzerland’s Debora Annen .03 ahead of Hoffman, while Canada’s Kristen Bujnowski, Czechia’s Patricia Tajcnarova, and Australia’s Sarah Blizzard all were within two tenths of the Annan.
In the second heat both Blizzard and Tajcnarova held their spots, with Bujnowski eventually taking the lead with Hoffman and Annen to go. Hoffman’s second push matched her first, tied with Bujnowski for the quickest start of the competition, and her second slide nearly matched her first as she took the lead with only Annen to go.
Annen, the St. Moritz monobob race winner, was the final slider off the top. As she had in the previous heat, she fell behind Hoffman early, but this time was unable to out-drive the American as she crossed the finish line in third place, .02 behind Bujnowski and .24 behind Hoffman to give the American the victory.
Behind Hoffman, Bujnowski’s silver medal was her second straight monobob gold across all tours and third straight medal. She’d previously won a gold and bronze in the Park City North American Cup races to finish out the 2023 calendar year.
Annen’s bronze medal was the second medal of her career on the Europe Cup circuit.
Tajcnarova finished fourth, her fifth top six in eight races, while Blizzard rounded out the top five with her second top five of the season.
Germany’s Charlotte Candrix rounded out the top six.
Great Britain’s Nikki McSweeney finished 12th, one spot ahead of USA’s Riley Tejcek in 13th.
In ninth place was Belgium’s Kelly van Petegem. That finish coupled with Annen’s bronze was enough to give van Petegem the Europe Cup monobob season title by 12 points over Annen, with Candrix in third. The title for van Petegem was the first for a Belgian women’s bobsled pilot. The previous best finish on the EC tour for Belgium was fifth by Elfje Willemsen in the 2026/2017 two-woman season where she won all four Europe Cup races she entered.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
| 1 | Sylvia Hoffman | USA | 11 | 5.86 | 5.86 | 55.20 | 55.27 | 1:50.47 |
| 2 | Kristen Bujnowski | CAN | 5 | 5.86 | 5.88 | 55.28 | 55.41 | 1:50.69 |
| 3 | Debora Annen | SUI | 8 | 6.05 | 6.06 | 55.17 | 55.54 | 1:50.71 |
| 4 | Patricia Tajcnarova | CZE | 12 | 6.04 | 6.06 | 55.29 | 55.49 | 1:50.78 |
| 5 | Sarah Blizzard | AUS | 10 | 6.13 | 6.12 | 55.37 | 55.75 | 1:51.12 |
| 5 | Charlotte Candrix | GER | 9 | 6.11 | 6.12 | 55.43 | 55.69 | 1:51.12 |
| 7 | Lea Haslwanter | AUT | 1 | 6.14 | 6.12 | 55.71 | 55.46 | 1:51.17 |
| 8 | Diana Filipszki | GER | 6 | 6.25 | 6.23 | 55.55 | 55.81 | 1:51.36 |
| 9 | Kelly Van Petegem | BEL | 7 | 6.05 | 6.08 | 55.48 | 56.07 | 1:51.55 |
| 10 | Simidele Adeagbo | NGR | 2 | 6.19 | 6.18 | 55.76 | 55.88 | 1:51.64 |
| 11 | Noemi Cavalleiri | ITA | 16 | 6.23 | 6.26 | 55.89 | 55.94 | 1:51.83 |
| 12 | Nikki McSweeney | GBR | 14 | 6.13 | 6.14 | 55.94 | 55.96 | 1:51.90 |
| 13 | Riley Tejcek | USA | 4 | 6.32 | 56.33 | 56.06 | 56.15 | 1:52.21 |
| 14 | Loren Djolo | NED | 13 | 6.11 | 6.25 | 55.82 | 56.47 | 1:52.29 |
| 15 | Jessica Duc | FRA | 17 | 6.29 | 6.39 | 56.52 | 57.18 | 1:53.70 |
| 16 | Angelina Beck | LIE | 15 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 56.79 | 56.94 | 1:53.73 |
| DNS | Robin Post | NED | 3 | 6.58 | 56.65 |
