Status: 01/22/2023 2:54 p.m
After gold in monobob, Laura Nolte also won the European title in two-man bobsleigh. In the World Cup classification at the race in Altenberg, however, she had to admit defeat to an American.
Two-man bobsleigh Olympic champion Laura Nolte has won her second European Championship gold medal. At the World Cup in Altenberg, which is being held at the same time as the European Championship, the pilot from BSC Winterberg came second after two runs on Sunday (January 22, 2023). The American Kaillie Humphries, who also won the World Cup, won the World Cup Monobob competition the day before had won. In 1:54.79 minutes, Humphries was just two hundredths of a second ahead of Nolte.
Nolte: “We started faster again”
Nolte had raced into the valley with the best time in the second run, but Humphires’ lead from the first run was enough to win the World Cup. Nevertheless, the German was very satisfied: “The exit from the Omega wasn’t quite optimal, so I left it there. But we still drove faster than Kaillie, which is very, very good. I’m very proud of Neele, we are started faster in the second. That’s great,” said Nolte on ZDF.
Nebel in Altenberg – “Must have it in the popometer”
The entire competition had to fight against difficult conditions, especially the first run was affected by fog on the track in the Ore Mountains. “It was difficult, it was very, very foggy,” said Nolte. “Visibility was very bad. But I always drive with a transparent visor, which made it a bit easier. But at the end of the day you have to have it in your buttocks,” laughed Nolte, referring to the driving skills that the drivers also have in the posterior to be located.
Only European starters are included in the EC ranking – and so Nolte, together with brakewoman Neele Schuten, handed second place in the World Cup to the European Championship title. Third in the European Championship and fourth in the World Cup was Kim Kalicki (+0.63 seconds). The woman from Wiesbaden had already won bronze in the monobob on Saturday.
Kalicki slips off World Cup podium
After the first run, Kalicki was third in the World Cup and second at the European Championships. But in the second run, together with brakewoman Anabel Galander, she didn’t get off to a good start and later in the race even got sidetracked. So she lost important time to the previously started Swiss duo Hasler/Pasternak. At the finish, Kalicki was 0.06 seconds behind the Swiss. And then Nolte and Humphries drove by.
Buckwitz does not start
the Last weekend’s two-man bobsleigh winner, Lisa Buckwitz, decided not to start. The 28-year-old fell the day before in the monobob after a driving error and slipped to last place. The two-man world champion also did not take part in the subsequent final run because of a cold. “That’s certainly not a good omen so close to the World Cup, but she put up with it well,” assured coach Gerd Leopold.
Source: sportschau.de