Germany gets women's sweep, Meyers Taylor gets points title

Updated Jan. 16, 2022 10:20 a.m. ET

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ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — German sleds swept the medals in the women’s World Cup bobsled finale of the season Sunday, and Elana Meyers Taylor of the U.S. clinched the seasonlong points title.

Kim Kalicki and Lisa Buckwitz finished two runs in 2 minutes, 15.50 seconds to get the victory, followed by Mariama Jamanka and Kira Lupperheide in 2:15.54. Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi were third in 2:15.57.

The U.S. grabbed fourth and fifth. Kaillie Humphries and Sylvia Hoffman finished in 2:15.59, and Meyers Taylor shared her sled with Kaysha Love and crossed the line in 2:16.14.

Meyers Taylor won the overall two-woman points title for the second time, not including the monobob — or single-seater — overall championship that she clinched on Saturday. She finished the two-person season with 1,505 points, 19 ahead of Nolte.

Her title was a reward for competing in all eight World Cup races of the season. Most top drivers skipped the World Cup race in Sigulda, Latvia on New Year’s weekend; Meyers Taylor competed and won, giving her 225 points.

Nolte, Kalicki, Humphries and Jamanka all skipped that weekend, basically surrendering their hopes at the points title.

FOUR-MAN

Francesco Friedrich’s streak of 11 consecutive World Cup four-man victories ended, in part because he chose to give a longtime teammate a farewell ride.

Latvia’s Oskars Kibermanis got his second career four-man victory, this win at St. Moritz joining the one he got there in 2017. Kibermanis and his team of Matiss Miknis, Edgars Nemme and Davis Springis finished in 2:09.38.

Friedrich — who had already clinched the four-man overall season title — and his team of Alexander Schueller, Martin Grothkopp and Alexander Roediger were second in 2:09.54. It was likely the final race for Roediger, who hadn’t been in a World Cup four-man race since 2019 because of injuries and plans to retire.

Russia was third, the sled of Rostislav Gaitiukevich, Mikhail Mordasov, Pavel Travkin and Aleksei Laptev finishing in 2:09.66.

Hunter Church drove to the best U.S. finish, he and his team of Josh Williamson, Kris Horn and Charles Volker grabbing a tie for 13th in 2:10.62.

Frank Del Duca was 15th for the U.S. in 2:10.89, his sled getting pushed by Hakeem Abdul-Saboor, Carlo Valdes and Kyle Wilcox.

UP NEXT

The World Cup bobsled and skeleton season is complete, and now the Olympics await. The U.S. plans to announce its Olympic bobsled team early Monday.

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