Summerland’s Kripps settles for 6th overall
KOENIGSSEE, Germany (CP) — Francesco Friedrich and Johannes Lochner were both declared world champions in fourman bobsled on Sunday when they couldn’t be separated after four runs.
European champion Lochner, pushed by Matthias Kagerhuber, Joshua Bluhm and Christian Rasp, was leading after Saturday’s first two runs.
Friedrich, pushed by Candy Bauer, Martin Grothkopp and Thorsten Margis, was fastest in the third to carve a minimal 0.01-second lead, before both German pilots clocked a combined time of 3 minutes, 14.10 seconds altogether.
“That was incredibly nerve-racking. From the second run onwards, it just went back and forth by a hundredth of a second. An awesome competition,” Lochner said.
It was the first time since the worlds started in 1930 that there were two winners rather than one. Friedrich seemed happy to share the honours.
“I don’t really want to introduce thousandths of a second in our sport,” said Friedrich, who claimed his fourth straight world title in twoman bobsled the Sunday before.
Another German team, piloted by Nico Walther, with Kevin Kuske, Kevin Korona, Eric Franke, was 0.16 back in third, completing a home sweep.
Justin Kripps of Summerland, Alexander Kopacz of London, Ont., Jesse Lumsden of Burlington, Ont., and Calgary’s Lascalles Brown were the top Canadian sled in sixth.
“With the way the season has been, I’m pretty happy with this result,” said Kripps, who won the two-man World Championship silver medal with Lumsden a week ago. “Overall it was a good race and we’re moving in the right direction.”
A sled piloted by Calgary’s Chris Spring was 13th, and Hamilton’s Nick Poloniato was 23rd.