Yanqing/Beijing (RWH) European and Junior World Champion Laura Nolte and World and Olympic Champion Francesco Friedrich (both GER) emerged victorious from the two final test races for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN).
In the 2-woman Bobsleigh, World Championships bronze medallist Laura Nolte with push athlete Deborah Levi won ahead of her teammates, Olympic Champion Mariama Jamanka with Vanessa Mark (GER, 0.22 seconds back). Nolte/Levi also set the best time at the start with 5.38 seconds. Third place at the Yanqing National Sliding Center went to Canada's Christine de Bruin/Kristen Bujnowski (0.39 seconds back) ahead of Andreea Grecu/Katharina Wick (ROU), who dropped from second after the first run to fourth.
The fastest in the track was Kim Kalicki with Anabel Galander: The World Championship silver medallist, after the first run only on rank 15, in the second run was more than three tenths of a second faster than the duo with pilot Laura Nolte and finished on rank five.
In the 4-man Bobsleigh, as in the 2-man event the day before, first place went to the team of Olympic, World, European and overall World Cup Champion Francesco Friedrich (GER). After two runs, the quartet was 0.30 seconds ahead of team-mate Johannes Lochner. Oskars Kibermanis of Latvia, the 2019 World Championship silver medallist, finished third with his team at the Yanqing Sliding Centre, 0.66 seconds behind winner Friedrich.
The races at the Yanqing Sliding Centre mark the end of the three-week International Training at the Olympic track and are official IBSF races. There were 20 teams competing in the 2-woman Bobsleigh and 18 in the 4-man Bobsleigh, with athletes from 16 nations taking part on the final day. ©RWH2021
