Fräbel Wins Oberhof Gold

From Oberhof, GER

(February 10, 2024) – Merle Fräbel took her first World Cup gold medal in Oberhof as she held off the top sliders of the past few seasons to take the victory.

On a warm day in Oberhof, Fräbel took the lead from the 17th starting position in the first heat and held that spot as World Cup leaders and seasoned veterans all failed to match her pace later in the run.

In the second heat, on fresh ice, the sliders who everyone expected to contend for the lead made their move. The first was Emily Sweeney. The American had no speed at all in her first slide, but her second was what would work out to be third quickest of the day. She took the lead and held it until World Cup leader Julia Taubitz took over from 13th place after the first heat.

Taubitz, who’d won a week earlier in Altenberg when warm and wet conditions allowed her, Sweeney, and others to climb the leaderboard after a messy first heat, held the lead for eight more spots until her 2023/2024 season rival Madeleine Egle took over by .028.

Egle and Taubitz stood and watched as slider after slider failed to match their combined times, to the point they were guaranteed a podium with just Fräbel to go.

Fräbel’s second run was far from the quickest of the day, but her padding from the first heat plus a clean enough slide gave her the victory by just over a tenth ahead of both Egle and Taubitz.

The win was Fräbel’s first on the FIL World Cup senior circuit. Egle and Taubitz finsihed second and third respectively.

Germany’s Anna Berreiter moved up from ninth in the first heat to finish fourth, ahead of Latvia’s Kendija Aparjode who took fifth. Swiss slider Natalie Maag continued a solid season with a sixth place effort.

Sweeney eventually finished eighth, up from 25th in the first heat as the top Americna. Ashley Farquharson moved up from 16th in the first run to finish 13th, while Summer Britcher moved up from 27th to 19th.

Canada’s Trinity Ellis and Caitlin Nash finished 16th and 17th respectively.

After seven races on the FIL World Cup tour, Julia Taubitz leads over Madeleine Egle. Anna Berreiter sits third, ahead of USA’s Ashley Farquharson and Emily Sweeney in fourth and fifth.

Results: