Humphries and Lotholz reunite, win World Cup bobsleigh race in Altenberg
Double Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries is back atop a World Cup women’s bobsleigh podium with a victory in Altenberg, Germany on Friday.
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s 2016-17 season has hit Europe with Altenberg as the first of three German stops in the calendar, where Humphries with brakeman Melissa Lotholz took the top prize, pushing together for the first time competitively this season after dominating the 2015-16 calendar.
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Kaillie Humphries & Melissa Lotholz (centre, top row) on the Altenberg World Cup podium with the top six teams on January 6, 2017 (Photo: IBSF).
Finishing with a two-run total time of one minute, 54.15 seconds, Humphries and Lotholz completed their day significantly ahead of Elana Meyers Taylor and Kehri Jones of the United States (1:54.85) who were second, followed by Austria’s Christina Hengester and Sanne Monique Dekker (1:54.93) in third.
Friday’s feat is even more impressive considering on neither of their two runs Humphries and Lotholz posted the fastest start time, which often has huge implications on final placement. After the fourth fastest start in the first run, expert piloting by Humphries around the Altenberg track – where she has won World Cup podium spots on three previous occasions – had the Canadians in first place. Their start improved to second fastest in the final run, more than enough to secure top spot with another great drive.
It’s Humphries’ second win and third podium in three races this season. Her first two outings were with Cynthia Appiah on the push. That pairing won in Whistler and placed third in Lake Placid before the new year.
Humphries is the defending World Cup overall title holder. She and Lotholz made every World Cup podium last season and took silver at the world championships. The latest victory propels Humphries to first in the women’s bobsleigh driver standings for this season.
