From Sigulda, LAT
(January 4, 2025) – Elina Bota returned to the site of her last World Cup gold medal and once again slid to victory in Sigulda.
Bota held the lead ahead of Julia Taubitz, Lisa Schulte, and teammate Kendija Aparjode after one heat, with the field relatively tight behind them.
Germany’s Merle Fräbel made the big move in the second heat, setting the quick time of the heat to take the lead and hold it despite quick runs by Aparjode and Schulte.
Taubitz, who entered the second heat in second place, looked to be on her way to another medal run but had to make a big correction out of Curve 14 and with the field packed tight she fell not just out of the medals but eventually down to ninth.
Finally it was Bota’s chance for a second run. Her second run wasn’t quite as good as her first, but it didn’t need to be. Bota had enough between herself and Fräbel to hold onto victory, her second in two years. Fräbel took silver, with reigning world champion Lisa Schulte bronze.
Aparjode held onto fourth place, just .024 out of the medals. Behind her, a trio of Americans were stacked up from fifth on back. Ashley Farquharson finished fifth, .01 ahead of Emily Sweeney in sixth. Summer Britcher was seventh, .02 behind Farquharson.
Emma Erickson finished 22nd as the fourth American, two spots ahead of Ireland’s Elsa Desmond. Desmond’s 24th place finish was a career-best in a 30 slider field.
After four races, Lisa Schulte is the World Cup leader by one point over Julia Taubitz and 40 points over Madeleine Egle. Merle Fräbel and Elina Bota round out the top five.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Elina Bota | LAT | 9 | 1.631 | 1.627 | 41.534 | 41.746 | 1:23.280 |
| 2 | Merle Fräbel | GER | 12 | 1.658 | 1.662 | 41.684 | 41.660 | 1:23.344 |
| 3 | Lisa Schulte | AUT | 16 | 1.647 | 1.650 | 41.616 | 41.729 | 1:23.345 |
| 4 | Kendija Aparjode | LAT | 5 | 1.658 | 1.663 | 41.621 | 41.748 | 1:23.369 |
| 5 | Ashley Farquharson | USA | 10 | 1.654 | 1.664 | 41.722 | 41.702 | 1:23.424 |
| 6 | Emily Sweeney | USA | 13 | 1.621 | 1.642 | 41.754 | 41.680 | 1:23.434 |
| 7 | Summer Britcher | USA | 8 | 1.657 | 1.653 | 41.708 | 41.736 | 1:23.444 |
| 8 | Anna Berreiter | GER | 6 | 1.646 | 1.647 | 41.701 | 41.761 | 1:23.462 |
| 9 | Julia Taubitz | GER | 15 | 1.649 | 1.647 | 41.580 | 41.916 | 1:23.496 |
| 10 | Dorothea Schwarz | AUT | 2 | 1.661 | 1.671 | 41.813 | 41.795 | 1:23.608 |
| 11 | Barbara Allmaier | AUT | 14 | 1.647 | 1.667 | 41.813 | 41.919 | 1:23.732 |
| 12 | Verena Hofer | ITA | 4 | 1.635 | 1.629 | 41.880 | 41.893 | 1:23.773 |
| 13 | Natalie Maag | SUI | 7 | 1.670 | 1.693 | 41.952 | 41.826 | 1:23.778 |
| 14 | Zane Kaluma | LAT | 21 | 1.674 | 1.677 | 41.914 | 41.973 | 1:23.887 |
| 15 | Melina Fischer | GER | 11 | 1.634 | 1.637 | 41.992 | 42.011 | 1:24.003 |
| 16 | Yulianna Tunytska | UKR | 1 | 1.643 | 1.642 | 42.266 | 42.166 | 1:24.432 |
| 17 | Alexandra Oberstolz | ITA | 19 | 1.660 | 1.672 | 42.186 | 42.358 | 1:24.544 |
| 18 | Nina Zöggeler | ITA | 18 | 1.685 | 1.683 | 42.193 | 42.362 | 1:24.555 |
| 19 | Margita Sirsnina | LAT | 28 | 1.668 | 1.672 | 42.272 | 42.697 | 1:24.969 |
| 20 | Tove Kohala | SWE | 20 | 1.667 | 42.275 | |||
| 21 | Klaudia Domaradzka | POL | 24 | 1.661 | 42.302 | |||
| 22 | Emma Erickson | USA | 22 | 1.676 | 42.415 | |||
| 23 | Olena Smaha | UKR | 23 | 1.652 | 42.458 | |||
| 24 | Elsa Desmond | IRL | 25 | 1.664 | 42.695 | |||
| 25 | Huilan Hu | CHN | 30 | 1.685 | 42.704 | |||
| 26 | Peixuan Wang | CHN | 24 | 1.642 | 43.043 | |||
| 27 | Liangziting Zhou | CHN | 29 | 1.682 | 43.798 | |||
| 28 | Madeleine Egle | AUT | 171 | 1.600 | 44.748 | |||
| DNF | Sandra Robatscher | ITA | 3 | 1.633 | 1.643 | 41.776 | DNF | |
| DNF | Ioana Corina Buzatoiu | ROU | 27 | 1.664 | DNF |