Lange Among Leaders in 2-Man Bob Training
Karl Angerer's sled is lifted off the ice in the first heat of training at the Whistler Sliding Centre Wednesday night. Angerer crashed. (Photo by Charlie Booker)
WHISTLER, Canada – Defending Olympic Champion Andre Lange of Germany was among the top performers Wednesday night in the first day of two-man bobsleigh training for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.
Lange posted the fastest time in run two, 52.01 after turning in a second best 52.08 in the first run. Germany’s Thomas Florschuetz and Canada’s Lyndon Rush tied for the fastest time in heat one, 52.05.
There were eight crashes among the 57 trips made on the 1450-meter course. In the first heat Swiss pilots Daniel Schmidt and Beat Hefti failed to maneuver cleaning through the 12-13 combination. Karl Angerer of Germany and Edwin van Calker of The Netherlands also tipped over in run one.
Schmid, Angerer and van Calker all came back to record clean runs in the second heat. Hefti, fourth in the World Cup this past season, complained of a headache after his crash and did not start in heat two.
Hiroshi Suzuki of Japan, Nicolae Istrate of Romania, and Chris Spring of Australia all crashed in heat two.
The third and fourth runs of two-man training will begin at 10:00 am local (18:00 GMT)
Two-Man Bobsleigh Training - Feb. 17 (Heats 1-2)
