From Lake Placid, USA
Women’s Bobsled
The first competitive days of the 2012 FIBT World Cup from Lake Placid, NY is over, and the United States has come out on top, with two gold and one bronze medal. The Canadians and Germans both also have scored three medals, with Canada scoring a gold and two silvers, and Germany hanging on with a silver and two bronze medals.
The weekend started off Friday morning with the first two heats of Women’s bobsled. From the get-go, it was clear that Kaillie 
Humphries and the Canada-1 sled was the team to beat. Humphries had the fastest two runs on Friday, while Germany’s Sandra Kiriasis and USA’s Elana Meyers battled between themselves for second.
Day two of Women’s bobsled would see a new fastest sled in he form of Kiriasis and Germany-3. Kiriasis and brakewoman Petra Lammert were fastest in both of Saturday’s heats, but the gains made by the Germans were nominal, at best, and Humphries and Canada-1 took gold in the first event of the World Championships. Kiriasis’s quick second day kept the German sled ahead of Elana Meyers and USA-1. Cathleen Martini, Helen Upperton and Fabienne Meyer round out the top six, while American sleds finished tenth and 12th.
Two-Man Bobsled
It’s safe to say that the 2011/2012 FIBT sliding season did not go according to plan for Steven Holcomb, Steven Langton and USA-1. A combination of close calls (including five podiums in World and Euro cup races) and awful weather left Holcomb out of a chance for the World Cup championship. The decision was made to skip the final two World Cup events in Canada to stay home and train for World Championships.
The first run was a bumpy one for Holcomb, but a near track record push left USA-1 in fourth, behind Lyndon Rush, Max Arndt and 2011/2012 World Cup champion Beat Hefti. Part of the 
reason for the bumpy USA-1 ride was that the sled being used was not the one that had been practiced in. A late decision to switch sleds meant less-recent practice time in the sled before Worlds.
In the second heat, Holcomb went from fourth to second, cutting the differential from he to Rush in half. While Rush had the second quickest run of the heat, it was .13 slower than Holcomb, leading to a tight race on the second day of racing.
Holcomb and Langton made their move in Heat 3. Cashing in on a less-than-perfect run by Rush, Holcomb put down a time .3 seconds faster than the Canadian team, the USA-1 team moved to the lead by .20 seconds. The Germans couldn’t make any ground on the Americans, but came into the final heat just .06 behind Canada.
Rush and Canada 1 would finish their final heat ahead of Max Arndt and German sled, but could only muster a time three-tenths behind Holcomb’s best. Holcomb would shine, more than doubling his lead over Lyndon Rush and bringing home the first ever two-man championship for the United States. Rush would settle for silver, while Arndt would take bronze. Francesco Friedrich made it two German sleds in the top five, while Beat Hefti ended a disappointing weekend in fifth.
It was a great day on home ice for the Americans, as John Napier finished a season-best sixth, and Nick Cunningham finished ninth in his first ever World Championships as a pilot. Canadian Justin Kripps finished 17th in his first ever time piloting in a World Championships.
Team Competition
The flow of gold into the USA wouldn’t stop after the flower ceremony in two-man bobsled. The afternoon’s team competition saw more huge runs by the USA-1 squad. Steven Holcomb and Justin Olsen in two-man bobsled, combined with Katie Uhlaender in women’s skeleton had the fastest times in their heats, while Elana Meyers and Matt Antoine had the second-quickest times in their heats. Put those times together, and it’s certain gold for the Americans.
Marion Thees and Max Arndt put together slightly disappointing runs for the Germans, and would settle for silver, while the Canadians couldn’t overcome a last-place men’s skeleton run despite a class-fastest run by World Champion Kaillie Humphries and would settle for silver. The USA-2 team of Daly, Fenlator, O’Shea and Cunningham finished just off the podium in fourth.
Sliding resumes at Lake Placid this Thursday with women’s skeleton, men’s skeleton and four-man bobsled.
