Bobsleigh: Friedrich with 75th World Cup win to second European Championship gold in 4-man bob

Innsbruck (RWH) 4-man bobsleigh Olympic and World Champion Francesco Friedrich has won the fourth race of the 2023/2024 BMW IBSF World Cup in Innsbruck (AUT). With World Cup win number 75 – 46 in the 2-man bobsleigh and now 29 in the 4-man bobsleigh – Friedrich with Candy Bauer, Alexander Schüller and Felix Straub.also secured the title of European Champion for the second time after 2021.
Olympic silver medallist Johannes Lochner with Erec Bruckert, Joshua Tasche and Georg Fleischhauer (GER, 0.14 seconds back) celebrated second place in the World Cup and silver at the European Championships in Innsbruck.
There was a double première to celebrate for the third-placed team: the 4-man bobsleigh crew of pilot Emils Cipulis with Davis Springis, Matiss Miknis and Krists Lindenblats from Latvia (0.46 seconds back) made it onto the World Cup podium for the first time in the big sled. Bronze is also the first European Championship medal for Cipulis, the World Championships silver medallist from St. Moritz 2023.
Defending European Champion Brad Hall from Great Britain made his season debut in the 4-man bobsleigh in Innsbruck following back surgery in the autumn. With Arran Gulliver, Taylor Lawrence and Greg Cackett as his push team, Hall finished sixth in the World Cup and European Championship rankings in Innsbruck. Hall shared the World Cup rank tied with the teams of Cedric Follador (SUI) and Sun Kaizhi (CHN).
Johannes Lochner (GER, 870 points) defended his lead in the overall standings in the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024 at the halfway stage. Defending champion Francesco Friedrich (GER, 860) is in second place after four of the eight races, ahead of Emils Cipulis (LAT, 768).