The overall winner of the 4-man bobsleigh World Cup will be crowned in Innsbruck
Innsbruck (RWH): Following the 2023 BMW IBSF World Championships in St. Moritz-Celerina, athletes from the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) have just two World Cup races left on the agenda. Next up, Innsbruck (AUT) will host the seventh race in the 2022/2023 BMW IBSF World Cup season. Athletes in the 4-man bobsleigh will compete in their final two World Cup races on the Olympic sliding track in Igls, meaning that the overall winner in this discipline will be named on Sunday (12 February). The battle at the top of the standings could not be closer: European Champion Brad Hall (GBR) and World Champion Francesco Friedrich (GER) will begin the last two 4-man bobsleigh races of the season level on 1287 points each. Olympic silver medallist Johannes Lochner (GER, 1170) is more than 100 points behind them in third place. The smaller bobsleds will not be travelling to the BMW IBSF World Cup in Innsbruck. The 2-man bobsleigh is taking a break and will instead arrive for a double feature at the World Cup finale in Sigulda (LAT, 16– 18 February).
After three wins from the six World Cup races so far, the European Champion Tina Hermann (GER) has a clear lead of over 100 points at the top of the standings in the women’s skeleton. Things are incredibly tight in the three places behind her: A mere 15 points separate the World Championship bronze medallist Mirela Rahneva (CAN), the World Championship runner-up Kimberley Bos (NED) and skeleton World Champion Susanne Kreher (GER) in places two to four of the overall World Cup standings.
The most successful athlete in the men’s skeleton will arrive for the penultimate World Cup race of the season in third place overall. The World and European Champion Matt Weston of Great Britain has won three of the six BMW IBSF World Cup races in the 2022/2023 season and has finished in third place twice – however, his 18th-place finish after a slip-up at the start in Park City (USA) cost the Brit a lot of points. At the top of the standings, the Olympic Champion Christopher Grotheer (GER) is currently leading Marcus Wyatt (GBR) and the Olympic silver medallist Axel Jungk.
In the women’s monobob, Kaillie Humphries (USA) will arrive in Innsbruck as the overall leader. The Olympic Champion has finished on the podium in all solo-discipline races this season, including a silver medal at the BMW IBSF World Championships in St Moritz (SUI). The monobob World Champion Laura Nolte is second overall, ahead of Canada’s Cynthia Appiah. Appiah and World Championship bronze medallist Lisa Buckwitz (GER) could benefit from their good starting times in Innsbruck: Both athletes are normally among the fastest starters in the push sprint. In the 2-woman bobsleigh, Kim Kalicki (GER) will arrive in Innsbruck as the overall leader. The 2022 European Champion and her brakewoman Leonie Fiebig won World Championship gold in St. Moritz ahead of their team mate Lisa Buckwitz and the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Champion Kaillie Humphries (USA). After crashing and dropping out of the BMW IBSF World Championships in St. Moritz, the Olympic Champion Laura Nolte is keen to give it her all at the last two World Cup races of the season and climb to the top of the World Cup standings, which would give her another title this season alongside European Championship gold. Laura Nolte is currently in second place, five points behind World Champion Kalicki. ©RWH2023
2023 BMW IBSF World Championships in St. Moritz-Celerina
Schedule BMW IBSF World Cup Innsbruck
Subject to changes – Up-to-date times (local time at the track and the user’s local time) are listed on the IBSF website. ©RWH2023
On the sidelines
Sarah Blizzard (AUS), who finished fourth in the monobob at the 2023 Junior World Championships, is celebrating a first. The 26-year-old Australian will make her debut as a monobob pilot at the BMW IBSF World Cup race in Innsbruck-Igls. Sarah Blizzard is also the brakewoman for Breeana Walker, who was a hair’s breadth away from winning bronze in the monobob at the BMW IBSF World Championships in St. Moritz. The two Australians are coached by Pierre Lueders, Canada’s 1998 Olympic Champion in the 2-man bobsleigh. ©RWH2023
