FOUR-MAN BOBSLED MEDALISTS AT THE 2022 WINTER OLYMPICS
GOLD: Crew Friedrich, GER, 3:54.30
SILVER: Crew Lochner, GER, (+ 0.37)
BRONZE: Crew Kripps, CAN, (+ 0.79)
WATCH FULL EVENT REPLAYS: HEATS 1 AND 2 | HEATS 3 AND 4 | SEE FINAL RESULTS
Within the ultimate bobsled race of the 2022 Winter Video games, Germany struck gold with Francesco Friedrich and earned silver through Johannes Lochner — however Canada’s PyeongChang 2018 co-gold medalist Justin Kripps spoiled a possible podium sweep by all of 0.06 seconds.
By successful the four-man race, Friedrich — Germany’s Opening Ceremony flagbearer — efficiently defended each his two-man and four-man Olympic titles. Lochner additionally earned silver within the two-man occasion.
Friedrich turned the primary bobsledder in historical past to win two golds at consecutive Olympics.
When all was stated and achieved throughout the three sliding sports activities, Germany dominated with golds in 9 of 10 occasions. The nation received 16 of 30 obtainable medals in luge, skeleton, and bobsled.
SEE MORE: Germany sweeps two-man bobsled podium with Friedrich, Lochner, Hafer
The preliminary two runs made it clear Germany would virtually definitely win the four-man competitors, with one group or one other. However a number of questions remained, even after Warmth 3’s completion.
Which German driver would declare gold — Friedrich or Lochner? May the fourth-place German group led by Christoph Hafer overcome reigning gold medalist Kripps’ 0.08-second lead? Did the USA’s younger, recuperating pilot Hunter Church possess the abilities and power to drive his group into the highest 10?
Maybe most significantly: May any single warmth be anyplace close to as compelling, hilarious, and heartwarming as Jamaica’s ultimate run, which noticed the sled actually experience in opposition to a sidewall, a end time 8.25 seconds off the lead, and athletes exit the course by hugging, patting shoulders, and smooching a fortunate egg?
View social media put up: https://twitter.com/nzaccardi/status/1495226215359303681
SEE MORE: Really feel the … experience? Jamaican four-man sled virtually crashes
HEAT 3
The morning’s first pair of runs noticed Friedrich widen his marginal lead from 0.03 seconds to 0.20 over the second-place German group, led by Lochner.
The following two heats featured the fourth-place German group, led by Hafer, closing the hole on Canada’s Kripps — shrinking a 0.17-second differential to simply 0.08 seconds.
Halfway down the rankings, American Hunter Church hovered simply outdoors the highest 10, whereas compatriot Frank Del Duca skidded into fifteenth place, 3.04 seconds off the lead.
SEE MORE: 4-man bobsled: Two American groups inside prime 15
Saving the most effective for final, Jamaica’s four-man group — which had returned to the Olympics after a 24-year absence — loved each hundredth of a second spent zig-zagging on the ice. They virtually went airborne.
Jamaica completed in twenty eighth place, 8.25 seconds off the lead.
SEE MORE: Jamaica competes in four-man bobsled at Winter Olympics
HEAT 4
In Warmth 4, the beginning listing was reduce to twenty groups and the order was reversed from slowest to quickest.
Each U.S. groups not solely made it to the top-20, but in addition managed to enhance their standings from the prior warmth. In a stunner, Del Duca tied Romania’s Mihai Tentea for fortunate thirteenth place.
SEE MORE: Church pilots USA to thirteenth after first two four-man runs
Church squeezed into the highest 10, regardless of much less cooperative ice. His outcomes had been all of the extra spectacular contemplating his three-heat, Twenty seventh-place end within the two-man race earlier this week, in addition to a latest foot surgical procedure. The 25-year-old pilot and his three teammates ended 2.76 seconds off the lead. Church shall be one to observe in Milano Cortina 2026.
However it all boiled all the way down to the highest 4. In the end, Hafner could not make up the deficit. In his fourth run, he gained solely 0.02 seconds on Canada’s Kripps.
Lochner maintained a 0.42-second lead over Kripps, and ended up almost that far behind Friedrich. Although he struggled in his first run, Friedrich completed first in 3:54.30 — 0.37 seconds forward of his silver medal-winning compatriot.
Friedrich is now a two-time Olympic champion in each the two- and four-man competitions. With 4 Olympic victories, 13 world championship golds, and a treasure trove of European Championship medals, the so-called “Ice Kaiser” has cemented his standing as one of many best bobsledders of all time.
However the query stays: Does he have a fortunate egg?
SEE MORE: Bobsled 101: Olympic Historical past