Innsbruck (RWH) European Champion Anja Schneiderheinze of Germany is on course for World Championship gold at half-time in the BMW IBSF World Championships 2016 in Innsbruck (AUT). Together with her brakewoman Annika Drazek, last year’s silver medallist set a new track record of 52.94 seconds in the first run down the Olympic ice track in Innsbruck. They go into the final tomorrow, Saturday, with a 0.31 second lead on Olympic Champion Kaillie Humphries of Canada and Melissa Lotholz. Defending World Champion Elana Meyers Taylor of the USA and her brakewoman Lauren Gibbs are close behind in third, 0.33 seconds back.
The top three are followed by Junior World Champion Stephanie Schneider/Lisa Buckwitz (GER, 0.66 seconds behind) and Olympic bronze medallist Jamie Greubel Poser with Cherrelle Garrett (USA, 0.74 seconds behind).
Local stars Christina Hengster and Sanne Dekker crashed in the first heat, but moved up three places in the second run to lie in sixth at half-time 0.90 seconds behind the leaders.
Heats three and four in the women’s bobsleigh will be raced on Saturday, 13 February at 3.00 pm and 4.30 pm. ©RWH2015-2016

Quotes
Anja Schneiderheinze (GER, 2015 and 2016 European Champion, 2015 World Championship silver medallist)
“If you’re working at something as big as this, you have to start the way you mean to go on. The pressure’s always on, whether I’m at the front or further down the field. But my win means I can look at tomorrow more calmly.”

Kaillie Humphries (CAN, 2010 and 2014 Olympic Champion, 2012 and 2013 World Champion)
“We had two good runs. We have a little work to do, some little things to fix. It’s all about consistency.”

Elana Meyers Taylor (USA, 2014 Olympic silver medallist, 2015 World Champion, overall 2014/2015 World Cup winner)
“I wonder why the second run wasn’t better. But it’s a four-heat race, and I’m super confident with our start times.”