Humphries and Moyse Set Records, Win in Altenberg
Canadian medalists in women's bobsleigh at Altenberg (Photo by Charlie Booker)
ALTENBERG, Germany – Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse of Canada set start and track records en route to a .43 second victory and a North American sweep of the medals Saturday morning in the Intersport FIBT Women’s Bobsleigh World Cup. Helen Upperton of Canada won the silver and Shauna Rohbock of the USA took the bronze.
World Cup leader Cathleen Martini of Germany did not participate in the fifth World Cup race of the Olympic season. Martini injured her calf in the final training run on Thursday and she withdrew from the race Saturday morning. Defending Olympic Champion Sandra Kiriasis was the top German finisher, placing fourth.
Humphries and Moyse opened a .27 lead in the first run with a track record effort of 56.79. That was five hundredths better than the mark set by Kirisis and Berit Wiacker of Germany in January 2008. In the second heat they popped a 5.74 start time that shaved .03 seconds off the standard Humphries and Shelley Ann Brown had set in the 2008 World Championships. The start record helped propel a 56.81 second run, the fastest among the 20 sleds, and a total time of 1:53.60.
Upperton and Jennifer Cochetti of Canada were second overall with runs of 57.06 and 56.81 and a 1:54.03 finish. It marked a first ever one-two finish for the Canadians. Rohbock and brakeman Michelle Rzepka moved up from fourth after the first heat to gain a position on the podium. Rohbock and Rzepka had runs of 57.17 and 56.94 for a 1:54.11 total.
Kiriasis and Wiacker were fourth in 1:54.12, while Claudia Schramm and Christin Senkel placed fifth in 1:54.59. Completting the top six were Erin Pac and Elana Myers of the USA, 1:54.71.
There were two crashes in the second heat. The Austrian team of Christina Hengster and Eva Willemarck tipped over for the second week in a row. Fabienne Meyer and Mariana Gilardoni of Switzerland also crashed. Both teams received finish times.
