Friedrich, Meyers Taylor win bobsled World Cups in Austria
IGLS, Austria (AP) Francesco Friedrich won both heats in a two-man bobsled World Cup race Saturday to claim his fourth victory of the season, while Elana Meyers Taylor won her fourth straight women's race.
Three-time world champion Friedrich and his pusher Thorsten Margis of Germany set a track record in the opening run before beating Oskars Melbardis and Janis Strenga of Latvia by 0.73 seconds.
Austria's Benjamin Maier and Markus Sammer trailed by 0.80 in third. American driver Justin Olsen, with pusher Evan Weinstock, was fourth for his personal best World Cup result.
Friedrich extended his lead in the overall standings to 101 points over the United States' Steven Holcomb, who finished Saturday's race in 10th.
In the women's race, American driver Meyers Taylor and her pusher Lolo Jones held on to their first-run lead to beat Kaillie Humphries and Melissa Lotholz of Canada by 0.25. Jamie Greubel Poser and her pusher Aja Evans made it an American 1-3 finish, trailing the winners by 0.39.
Humphries remained in the overall World Cup lead with 1,446 points, 27 clear of Greubel Poser and 126 ahead of Meyers Taylor.
The meet in Austria will be concluded by the four-man race on Sunday, and is the last World Cup event before the Feb. 17-26 world championships in Koenigssee, Germany.
