Gaitiukevich third - teams up to seventh place with good medal chances
Yanqing (RWH) 2-man bobsleigh Olympic Champion Francesco Friedrich (GER) is again on course for Olympic gold at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing after two of four race runs.
With push athlete Thorsten Margis, who was already part of the 2018 Olympic victory, Friedrich is 0.15 seconds ahead before the second Olympic day with another two race runs at the Yanqing Sliding Center. Secund currently are Johannes Lochner/Florian Bauer (GER) - and made the race for the Olympic victory even more exciting: With best time in the second run Lochner took just one tenth of a second off the Friedrich duo.
Rostislav Gaitiukevich/Alexei Laptev (ROC) will start into the final day in third place. The 2-man bobsleigh team from the Russian Olympic Committee is 0.94 seconds behind the leaders Friedrich/Margis.
Within reach of at least the bronze medal are currently also the teams on ranks four to seven: Christoph Hafer/Matthias Sommer (GER, 0.99 seconds back), the tied Benjamin Maier/Markus Sammer (AUT) and Michael Vogt/Sandro Michel (SUI, both 1.09 seconds back) and Rudy Rinaldi/Boris Vain (MON, 1.14 seconds back).
Sun Kaizhi/Wu Qingze and Li Chunjian/Liu Wei, the two 2-man bobsleigh teams of Olympic host China, enter the final day in 14th and 22nd place. ©RWH2022
Francesco Friedrich (GER, 2018 Olympic Champion, seven-time World Champion).
"With start record and track record in the first run, we were very relieved at first! We managed a good run there. Tomorrow, however, we must do better in the exit of turn six."
Johannes Lochner (GER, Olympic fifth in 2018, four times World Cup runner-up).
"The second run showed that we can race with the best - but also how close it all is. We have to fight hard again tomorrow."
Rostislav Gaitiukevich (ROC, 2022 European Championship bronze medalist, 2022 overall World Cup bronze medalist)
"I am very happy with our two runs, especially with the starts. But I also know that starts and runs can still go better."
Photos: IBSF / Viesturs Lacis
