In the first race, the fastest time was reached by the two led by Ķibermanis, who was the third fastest at the start, but finished with the first place, setting a new track record – 49.45 seconds.
The winner of the last two stages from Germany, Francesco Friedrich, made a serious mistake in the first race in the middle of the track and lost 0.02 seconds to Kiberman. The third place was won by the bobsleigh led by the Swiss Simon Friedley, who lost 0.12 seconds to Kiberman.
Oskars Melbārdis, who started in his first World Cup this season, was eighth in the start with pusher Intars Dambi, but he was able to improve his position on the track and took the split sixth place, as the German Johannes Lohner’s two was also 0.28 seconds short.
The third two from Latvia Ralfs Bērziņš / Edgars Nemme showed the fifth fastest start time and finished in eighth place, losing his compatriot 0.39 seconds.
The second trip will be shown on Latvian Television Channel 7 (LTV7) at 16.30.
13 crews are participating in the third stage of the World Cup in Sigulda.
The top five was the same in the two stages last weekend. The victory in both competitions was celebrated by the German bobsleigh virtuoso Francesco Friedrich, but the best result among Latvians was achieved by Bērziņš, who was twice fifth. Kiberman was in the sixth and eighth place, Dāvis Kaufmanis was the tenth on Saturday, but Emīls Cipulis took the 12th place on Sunday.
In the first stages, Melbārdis was like a track enthusiast or “spurbob”.
Another doubles competition will take place on Sunday, but on Saturday there were also women’s crews on the track, among whom Latvia was not represented.
Latvia and Germany are the only countries in these World Cup stages that have the right to start with three crews.
Bobsleigh players from the USA, Canada and Great Britain, as well as Russian and Austrian crews do not participate in the stages, because some athletes from these countries were found to have Covid-19 upon arrival in Latvia.
Last season, Ķibermanis won in both stages of Sigulda. In the first stage, Friedrich created a fierce competition for him, but in the next stage, the German did not start, winning the second place for the Swiss Simon Friedl. Last year, when Sigulda debuted in the World Cup, Friedrich was unbeaten in both stages.
2019/2020. In the season, Ķibermanis won the second place in the overall rating, giving way only to Friedrich, but Bērziņš did not start in two stages and ranked 14th. Fourth and 17th place in the fours for Latvians, respectively, but in the combination – third and 15th place. Ķibermanis became the European champion and won bronze in the planetary championship, but Bērziņš had a place in the second tenth in these matches.
Last season, Melbārdis started in the World Cup only in Sigulda in the doubles competition, where he was fifth, but in the European Championship – fourth. In the planetary championship, the Olympic champion had places in the top ten in doubles and fours.
Since 2006, the International Federation of Bobsleigh and Skeletons (IBSF) has been organizing the World Cup stages together, dividing five sets of medals in one stage – in the skeleton for ladies and gentlemen, in bobsleigh for men in doubles and fours, and for bobsleighers in doubles.
However, the Sigulda track is currently not suitable for bobsleigh quad competitions, therefore two men’s doubles competitions are taking place in Latvia in one stage.
The next two stages will take place in Innsbruck, but one stage is planned in Winterberg after the new year. Stages will continue in St. Moritz and Königssee, but the end of the season was scheduled for mid-March on the Yanchin track, where the 2022 Beijing Olympics will take place. True, the IBSF announced on Saturday that the Yanchin track will not be the last stage of the season.
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