From Sigulda, LAT
(January 31, 2025) – Julia Erlacher slid to her fourth gold medal of the Europe Cup season in Sigulda with a decisive victory over Viktoria Hansova.
Erlacher outstarted Hansova by .2 in the first heat, and another .19 in the second heat, on her way to a .56 second victory over the German.
Nobody else was within a full second of Erlacher.
The victory for the Austrian put in her a commanding lead in the Europe Cup championship, and she can clinch with a strong result on Saturday.
Hansova was well ahead of Darta Neimane, who slid to third place on her home track.
Switzerland’s Julia Simmchen was fourth, a hundredth of a second ahead of Annia Unterscheider in fifth, with Germany’s Charlize Reimann in sixth.
The United States’ Michelle Toukan continued a strong season with a tenth place finish. She was third after the first heat, but a mistake late in her run dropped her out of the medals.
Toukan was just ahead of Great Britain’s Isabella Fassnidge, who was 11th. Teammates Ashlyn Bland and Regan Walker were 19th and 20th.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
| 1 | Julia Erlacher | AUT | 10 | 5.02 | 5.04 | 51.86 | 52.44 | 1:44.30 |
| 2 | Viktoria Hansova | GER | 4 | 5.22 | 5.23 | 52.20 | 52.66 | 1:44.86 |
| 3 | Darta Neimane | LAT | 17 | 5.23 | 5.21 | 52.60 | 52.96 | 1:45.56 |
| 4 | Julia Simmchen | SUI | 5 | 5.53 | 5.52 | 52.88 | 53.19 | 1:46.07 |
| 5 | Annia Unterscheider | AUT | 2 | 5.39 | 5.48 | 52.77 | 53.31 | 1:46.08 |
| 6 | Charlize Reimann | GER | 6 | 5.58 | 5.64 | 52.86 | 53.33 | 1:46.19 |
| 7 | Stefanie Votz | GER | 9 | 5.73 | 5.79 | 53.29 | 52.93 | 1:46.22 |
| 8 | Nanna Johansen | DEN | 11 | 5.50 | 5.49 | 53.11 | 53.24 | 1:46.35 |
| 9 | Selina Frohberger | GER | 7 | 5.45 | 5.47 | 53.29 | 53.12 | 1:46.41 |
| 10 | Michelle Toukan | USA | 8 | 5.23 | 5.21 | 52.54 | 54.00 | 1:46.54 |
| 11 | Isabella Fassnidge | GBR | 3 | 5.22 | 5.30 | 52.96 | 53.74 | 1:46.70 |
| 12 | Alessia Gatti | ITA | 20 | 4.93 | 4.96 | 53.55 | 53.23 | 1:46.78 |
| 13 | Angel Osakue | ITA | 14 | 5.28 | 5.29 | 54.37 | 53.20 | 1:47.57 |
| 14 | Katharina Eigenmann | LIE | 18 | 5.61 | 5.65 | 53.74 | 53.84 | 1:47.58 |
| 15 | Marie Angerer | GER | 27 | 5.55 | 5.57 | 54.18 | 53.56 | 1:47.74 |
| 16 | Kamila Krustina | LAT | 24 | 5.45 | 5.46 | 54.29 | 53.51 | 1:47.80 |
| 17 | Anna Saulite | AUT | 16 | 5.54 | 5.51 | 54.18 | 53.88 | 1:48.06 |
| 18 | Cosima Sebastian | GER | 13 | 5.49 | 5.53 | 54.23 | 53.96 | 1:48.19 |
| 19 | Ashlyn Bland | GBR | 28 | 5.28 | 5.30 | 54.03 | 54.25 | 1:48.28 |
| 20 | Regan Walker | GBR | 26 | 5.38 | 5.39 | 54.31 | 54.11 | 1:48.42 |
| 21 | Marta Jakobczyk | POL | 15 | 5.55 | 5.60 | 54.17 | 54.27 | 1:48.44 |
| 22 | Vanesa Vidina | LAT | 19 | 5.41 | 5.48 | 55.08 | 54.12 | 1:49.20 |
| 23 | Laura Legere | LAT | 21 | 5.46 | 5.53 | 54.88 | 54.91 | 1:49.79 |
| 24 | Florijn de Haas | NED | 29 | 6.14 | 5.97 | 55.44 | 54.66 | 1:50.10 |
| 25 | Aadelina Badara | ROU | 22 | 5.70 | 5.76 | 55.35 | 54.80 | 1:50.15 |
| 26 | Eire Rowland-Evans | IRL | 12 | 5.80 | 55.46 | |||
| 27 | Mariia Ivchuk | UKR | 1 | 6.14 | 56.85 | |||
| 28 | Yevheniia Kovalchuk | UKR | 25 | 6.27 | 57.26 |