Germany Dominates Two-Man Bobsled With Three Medals

Germany is taking home all three medals after the two-man bobsled competition Tuesday. 

Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis, defending gold medalists, finished their fourth run at 59.52, for a combined time of 3:56.89, securing gold.

Johannes Lochner and Florian Bauer’s fourth run finished at 59.53 for a combined time of 3:57.38.

Christoph Hafer and Matthias Sommer timed in at 59.70 on their final run, contributing to a combined score of 3:58.58 and securing bronze.

Switzerland’s Michael Vogt and Sandro Michel’s fourth run finished at 59.77, for a combined score of 3:58.83, just shy of bronze position.

Frank Del Duca and Hakeem Abdul-Saboor of Team USA finished their fourth run at 1:00.15, for a combined time of 4:00.10.

For their third runs, Germany’s Friedrich and Margis timed in at 58.99. Germany’s Lochner and Bauer timed in at 59.32 and the ROC’s Gaitiukevich and Laptev timed in at 59.80.

USA’s Del Duca and Abdul-Saboor timed in at 59.86, placing them in 12th. 

USA’s Hunter Church and Charlie Volker timed in at 1:00.53. They placed 27th after the third run and therefore did not qualify for the fourth.

Germany led the two-man bobsled event at the midpoint of the competition, following heats one and two, securing two of the top three spots out of thirty pairs.

Germany’s Friedrich and Margis, 1:58:38, topped the leaderboard after the first two heats. Germany’s Lochner and Bauer, (+0.15), sat in second, and the ROC’s Gaitiukevich and Laptev, (+0.94), took third.

Team USA’s Del Duca and his brakeman placed fifteenth with a 2:00.09 and USA’s Hunter Church and Charlie Volker placed twenty eighth with a 2:01.78.  

The top twenty after the first three heats moved on to the fourth heat for the opportunity to earn a podium position. But don’t worry, many of these athletes will reappear for the four-man bobsled event later in the Games.

Next up is the two-woman bobsled runs, heats one and two, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 a.m. EST.