From Winterberg, GER
(January 8, 2022) – The United States’ Elana Meyers Taylor set the quick start in both heats on her way to another Women’s Monobob World Series gold medal in Winterberg.
Meyers Taylor opened up a .21 second lead over Australia’s Breeana Walker in the first heat with a combination of the heat’s quickest start time and a clean and quick first run. On the second run Walker slid into the lead, ahead of Germany’s Laura Nolte with just Meyers Taylor to go.
On the final run of the race Meyers Taylor was even quicker off the start as she tied Cynthia Appiah for the fast start of the race. Her second slide wasn’t quite as clean as her first, but it was plenty fast enough to keep her ahead of Walker and give her a gold medal.
The win for Meyers Taylor was her fourth in six starts in monobob action. She took monobob gold in both Winterberg races as well as in both races in Igls.
After the race, Meyers Taylor said that the win came on what’s effectively her home away form home.
“I love this track, I feel like it’s my second home track,” she told IBSF television. “I won a world championship here, I love this place!”
Walker finished second on what is effectively her home trak, while Nolte took bronze.
The United States put both of their sleds in the top four, with Kaillie Humphries overcoming a bit of a leg injury to finish fourth. Canada placed two sleds in the top six, with Cynthia Appiah in fifth and Melissa Lotholz in sixth.
North America had another strong showing in Winterberg, as all five athletes placed in the top eight. CHristine de Bruin, last week’s winner in Sigulda, couldn’t quite match her pace from a week prior but did finish eighth.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Elana Meyers Taylor | USA | 5 | 5.85 | 5.81 | 59.28 | 59.48 | 1:58.76 |
| 2 | Breeana Walker | AUS | 8 | 5.94 | 5.91 | 59.49 | 59.44 | 1:58.93 |
| 3 | Laura Nolte | GER | 10 | 6.03 | 6.01 | 59.53 | 59.48 | 1:59.01 |
| 4 | Kaillie Humphries | USA | 12 | 5.99 | 6.00 | 59.67 | 59.50 | 1:59.17 |
| 5 | Cynthia Appiah | CHN | 11 | 5.89 | 5.81 | 59.70 | 59.52 | 1:59.22 |
| 6 | Melissa Lotholz | CAN | 13 | 5.98 | 5.96 | 59.70 | 59.66 | 1:59.36 |
| 7 | Nadezhda Sergeeva | RUS | 6 | 5.95 | 5.93 | 59.78 | 59.61 | 1:59.39 |
| 8 | Christine de Bruin | CAN | 9 | 6.06 | 6.02 | 59.87 | 59.72 | 1:59.59 |
| 9 | Mariama Jamanka | GER | 14 | 6.09 | 6.09 | 59.95 | 59.79 | 1:59.74 |
| 10 | Mingming Huai | CHN | 15 | 6.06 | 6.06 | 59.97 | 59.79 | 1:59.76 |
| 11 | Katrin Beierl | AUT | 16 | 6.13 | 6.15 | 60.02 | 59.97 | 1:59.99 |
| 12 | Qing Ying | CHN | 7 | 6.05 | 6.04 | 60.15 | 59.96 | 2:00.11 |
| 13 | Melanie Hasler | SUI | 4 | 6.25 | 6.17 | 60.14 | 60.06 | 2:00.20 |
| 14 | Lubov Chernykh | RUS | 17 | 6.00 | 6.00 | 60.29 | 60.00 | 2:00.29 |
| 15 | Anastasiia Makarova | RUS | 18 | 6.10 | 6.11 | 60.28 | 60.12 | 2:00.40 |
| 15 | Karlien Sleper | NED | 1 | 6.22 | 6.18 | 60.27 | 60.13 | 2:00.40 |
| 17 | Martina Fontanive | SUI | 19 | 6.20 | 6.21 | 60.44 | 60.14 | 2:00.58 |
| 18 | Marina Silva Tuono | BRA | 3 | 6.31 | 6.30 | 60.87 | 60.87 | 2:01.74 |
| 19 | Andreea Grecu | ROU | 2 | 6.08 | 8.35 | 60.21 | 63.41 | 2:03.62 |
