Kalenda Jumps to 12th After Stunning Second Run in Innsbruck Fours Race
Innsbruck, Austria - latvian bobsleigh pilot Ralfs Kalenda delivered a remarkable second run at the Innsbruck circuit, propelling his four-man team from 20th to 12th place overall in the World Cup event. The dramatic enhancement showcases Latvia’s growing competitiveness in the international bobsleigh scene, while teammate Jānis Grantiņš finished 21st.
The Latvian foursome’s performance comes as the bobsleigh season gains momentum,with teams vying for crucial points and Olympic qualification. Kalenda’s impressive leap in the standings, fueled by a second run that was the third-fastest of the day, demonstrates the potential for further success as the season progresses to Norway in mid-December. This result is particularly significant after Kalenda placed 17th in the season opener at Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Germany dominated the podium, with Francesco Friedrich claiming gold and Johannes Lohner securing silver, separated by just 0.28 seconds after two runs. Friedrich also broke the course record in the first race. Italy’s Patrick Baumgartner rounded out the top three, taking bronze and disrupting the German stronghold that was challenged by a South Korean team the previous week.
Kalenda improved his overall time by a considerable 0.51 seconds in the second run, a performance that allowed him to overtake several competitors.Grantiņš, however, was unable to qualify for the second run, finishing just two hundredths of a second behind the 20th qualifying position held by Kaufmans and Edgars Nemmi.
Innsbruck circuit, fours
| V | Pilots | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Friedrich | Germany | 1:43.68 |
| 2. | Lohners | Germany | +0.28 |
| 3. | Baumgartners | Italy | +0.47 |
| 4. | Amur | Germany | +0.48 |
| 5. | Traihls | Austria | +0.52 |
| 6. | Fogts | Switzerland | +0.55 |
| 12. | Kalenda | Latvia | +0.97 |
| 21. | grantin | Latvia |
