From Altenberg, GER
(December 5, 2021) – On Saturday, Francesco Friedrich had to come from behind to win gold in Altenberg. On Sunday he made sure that there was no doubt as to who was going to win gold in four-man bobsled.
Friedrich’s team gave him the two fastest starts of the competition, and he paired those with the two fastest runs of the competition on his way to a .67 second victory over Austria’s Benjamin Maier. The race wasn’t close at any point, with Friedrich opening up a .36 second lead after the first heat.
For Maier, the silver was his first of the season, a career-best in World Cup four-man action in Altenberg. In the previous season he’d won silver in the World Championships.
Russia’s Rostislav Gaitiukevich won his first career IBSF World Cup four-man medal with a bronze, one day after winning a medal in the two-man event.
Germany’s Johannes Lochner had some issues early in his first run that put him back in ninth place after the first run. His second trip down was tied for the second quickest of the heat and that was enough to move him to fourth.
Canada’s Justin Kripps finished fifth, and while he never was really in contention for medals he easily slid into the top five.
Swiss pilot Michael Vogt finished sixth.
Canada’s Chris Spring put down two clean runs, with his second run good enough to move him up from 12th to 11th one day after finishing fourth in the two-man sled.
The United States struggled to get their men into contention in Altenberg. Codie Bascue did move up from 20th to 19th in the second heat to lead the way for the Americans, while Hunter Church finished 21st in his first World Cup race in Altenberg.
Brad Hall moved up from 11th in the first heat to score a top ten with a ninth place finish. Teammate Lamin Deen finished 20th
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Friedrich / Margis / Bauer / Schüller | GER | 12 | 5.06 | 5.06 | 53.99 | 53.97 | 1:47.96 |
| 2 | Maier / Stepan / Sammer / Huber | AUT | 10 | 5.20 | 5.18 | 54.35 | 54.28 | 1:48.63 |
| 3 | Gaitiukevich / Mordasov / Zharovtsev / Travkin | RUS | 9 | 5.15 | 5.12 | 54.40 | 54.36 | 1:48.76 |
| 4 | Lochner / Bauer / Bruckert / Rasp | GER | 7 | 5.13 | 5.13 | 54.58 | 54.28 | 1:48.86 |
| 5 | Kripps / Sommer / Coakwell / Stones | CAN | 4 | 5.16 | 5.17 | 54.52 | 54.38 | 1:48.90 |
| 6 | Vogt / Knuser / Jones / Michel | SUI | 6 | 5.26 | 5.24 | 54.53 | 54.56 | 1:49.09 |
| 7 | Andrianov / Zaytsev / Kondratenko / Gryaznov | RUS | 5 | 5.25 | 5.23 | 54.45 | 54.66 | 1:49.11 |
| 8 | Hafer / Salzer / Hammers / Schneider | GER | 23 | 5.23 | 5.20 | 54.56 | 54.57 | 1:49.13 |
| 9 | Hall / Lawrence / Gleeson / Cackett | GBR | 8 | 5.12 | 5.12 | 54.65 | 54.58 | 1:49.23 |
| 10 | Kibermanis / Springis / Kaufmanis / Dambis | LAT | 11 | 5.25 | 5.22 | 54.63 | 54.51 | 1:49.24 |
| 11 | Spring / Evelyn / Giguere / Sorensen | CAN | 1 | 5.21 | 5.19 | 54.73 | 54.55 | 1:49.28 |
| 12 | Dvorak / Sindelar / Prochazka / Nosek | CZE | 14 | 5.25 | 5.19 | 54.57 | 54.78 | 1:49.35 |
| 13 | Friedli / Fässler / Schläpfer / Haas | SUI | 3 | 5.21 | 5.21 | 54.93 | 54.55 | 1:49.48 |
| 14 | Baumgartner / Fantazzini / Verginer / Bilotti | ITA | 22 | 5.24 | 5.23 | 54.93 | 54.69 | 1:49.62 |
| 15 | Tentea / Dobre / Daroczi / Radu | ROU | 2 | 5.26 | 5.24 | 54.82 | 54.82 | 1:49.64 |
| 16 | Treichl / Kompain / Glück / Mitteer | AUT | 19 | 5.26 | 5.27 | 55.01 | 54.79 | 1:49.80 |
| 17 | Heinrich / Lefebvre / Delmestre / Laporal | FRA | 17 | 5.28 | 5.22 | 55.02 | 54.81 | 1:49.83 |
| 18 | Won / Kim / Kim / Jung | KOR | 20 | 5.30 | 5.26 | 54.96 | 54.90 | 1:49.86 |
| 19 | Bascue / McConnell / Valdes / Taylor | USA | 15 | 5.27 | 5.26 | 55.25 | 54.95 | 1:50.20 |
| 20 | Deen / Letts / Fearon / Simons | GBR | 21 | 5.30 | 5.29 | 55.18 | 55.39 | 1:50.57 |
| 21 | Church / Williamson / Reed / Abdul-Saboor | USA | 13 | 5.17 | 55.35 | |||
| 22 | de Bruin / Franjic / Dumas / Huis in ‘t Veld | NED | 16 | 5.33 | 55.59 | |||
| 23 | Kaufmanis / Kirejevs / Nemme / Lindenblats | LAT | 18 | 5.28 | 55.61 |
