On Sunday, January 24, the quadruple of the Latvian bobsleigh pilot Oskars Melbārzs took the sixth place in the sum of two races at the World Cup stage in Königsee, Germany.
Melbārdis was the only Latvian pilot who started in a four-person race.
In the first race, Melbārdis with pushers Dāvis Spriņģis, Matīss Mikni and Kristu Lindenblats was ninth in the first race, but the results around the top six were very dense, which gave hope for improving the result in the second race. It also happened because the Melbourne Quartet showed the sixth best time, which allowed the sum to rise to the sixth place as well.
By far the best in the competition was the quartet of the German pilot Francesco Friedrich, which was 0.39 seconds ahead of the Austrian Benjamin Maier. Third place in the stage for German Johannes Lohner (+0.52 seconds).
The portal “Delfi” offered a live broadcast of the competition text.
World Cup stage, fours. Königsee track
World Cup stage on the Königsee track. Overall rating.
Friedrich has a big advantage already in the first control marks after the start. In the future, the difference shrinks a bit, but in the finish the victory for the top four in Germany
Hafer loses to Maier after the start. Next we fail to “get used to the water” and finish only the third one now (+0.16 seconds). As a result, Hafker will remain outside the podium. Friedrich is now the convincing leader of the first trip.
Austrian Maier better in the start than Lohner. Good speed continues and the Austrians disrupt German dominance. The best time on the trip and convincingly becomes the leader (-0.13 seconds).
Lohners takes a good ride and convincingly becomes the leader (-0.24 seconds).
Canadian Crypt after the start in front of Latvians 0.09 seconds. The weight increases to 0.17 seconds. There are no big mistakes next and the Canadian becomes the leader (-0.21 seconds).
Brits Hals (0.07 second advantage over Melbard) – the gap narrows after the start. A similar trip continued, but Melbārdis was a little better. At the finish, the British lose 0.01 seconds.
Gaitjukevich’s 0.06 second lead over Melbārds in the first race. Russian bobsleighers are much better than Latvians at the start. Then the Russian crew made mistakes and in the end only the third (+0.07 seconds).
Springs in the first race was 0.02 seconds better, but after the start they are already losing to the Latvians. In the last turns, Canadians are better, but they can’t manage to burn everything. Second place (+0.02 seconds).
Melbārdis – a better start than the first trip. At the top of the 0.10 second lead, it shrinks slightly, but then begins to grow and become the leader (-0.14 seconds).
Dīns loses to Stuļņevs already after the start, as he had the same time in the first race. The ride is not very good and at the finish loses 0.32 seconds to Stuļņevs. Now Melbārdis
Stulņev slips thoroughly, but there is a high speed that saves in the future. The best time in the finish in the sum and also in the second race (-0.18 seconds).
Korean Won – problems with sitting, but it does not interfere with the continuation. Good ride and new leader at the finish (-0.11 seconds).
Dvorak is currently making the best ride of all the participants and becomes the leader (-0.12 seconds).
Italian Baumgartner slips in some places on the track, but the continuation is good and becomes the leader at the finish (-0.14 seconds).
The Austrian Trehlse is grossly mistaken. Only the fourth in the finish (+0.24 seconds).
The crew of the French Heinrich has problems with landing. This affects the ride at the top. The sequel is also not very good and is only third in the amount (+0.21 seconds).
Korean Suks is safely on his way. De Bruin loses a bit on the trip, but in the amount he is ahead of the Dutch crew by 0.19 seconds.
The American Gadbu makes a serious mistake and loses 0.35 seconds to de Bruin. De Bruins has already risen from 20th place to at least 18th place. Will the next ones also lose to the Dutch pilot?
Swiss Fridli also makes the second run poorly and loses 0.21 seconds.
De Bruins makes a better run than the first attempt and finishes much better (49.81 seconds in the first and 49.49 seconds in the second).
The 2nd trip starts
After about five minutes, the World Cup in bobsleigh for four will resume on the track in Königsee, Germany. The only Latvian crew with pilot Oskars Melbārds has little hope of getting involved in the fight for medals, but six is achievable. The Great Osh is still in ninth place.
The second trip at 11:55.
Results of the 1st trip.
Last start number for Korean Suk. Although mistakes are made at the bottom, the Koreans make it to the second race (17th place; +0.94 seconds).
Brits Hal shows that you can drive well in the end. Fifth place at the finish and +0.54 seconds.
Korean Won is doing relatively well, finishing 11th (+0.73 seconds).
Weak start for the Swiss queen foursome. The ride is also not the best and the penultimate at the finish (+1.17 seconds).
American Gadbui makes a lot of mistakes, but in the end he is in 15th place and will be on the second trip (+1.05 seconds)
Melbārdis – the sixth best time at the start. The trip is not very good and the finish is the eighth place (+0.61 seconds). It will be difficult for the Latvian pilot to get involved in the fight for medals, because it is 0.30 seconds to the third place.
Basque makes a weak run and is the weakest at the moment (16th place; +1.25 seconds).
Baumgartner can’t get into the top ten (11th place; +0.78 seconds). After that, the Dutch pilot de Bruina quartet got a little confused at the start, but everyone successfully jumped into a bob. The trip is very weak and currently the weakest (15th place; +1.14 seconds).
For Stulev, a mediocre ride and eighth place (+0.70 seconds).
Lohner has the second best start. Slips to the important place, does not gain speed and finishes fourth (+0.33 seconds).
Austrian Maier is the second best in the start, but in some places the bobs slip. However, a good ride followed and third place at the finish (+0.31 seconds).
Swiss Fridli with a weak start loses a lot already at the top. Currently the weakest time in the finish and the first to lose more than a second to the leaders (10th place; +1.08 seconds).
Cripps makes a serious mistake, tries to control Bob in several places, but in the end he is still able to slightly overtake Gaitjukevičs and is the third (+0.54 seconds).
Gaitjukevich makes a slightly worse trip, but so far the best in the competition, not taking into account the Germans – third (+0.55 seconds).
The German Hafper also makes a very good trip, all the most important places go perfectly and the compatriots lose 0.29 seconds at the finish.
Czech Dvorak makes a wrong trip and is currently only the fourth of six crews (+0.75 seconds).
Friedrich makes a flawless ride and is more than half a second ahead of Spring (-0.59 seconds). It will be difficult for others to overtake this result and will also hardly be able to compete with Friedrich.
Frenchman Heinrich is faster than Spring in the start, but the worst of all races has started – fourth place (+0.34 seconds).
Springs make a mistake in an important place, but restrain the bob. The Canadian loses the lead slightly, but becomes the leader (-0.11 seconds).
Austrian Trehll is weaker in the start, the race was not successful and loses 0.22 seconds.
The first track is performed by the British pilot Dina four. Relatively good ride, no mistakes in the most important places – 49.37 seconds at the finish.
The competition has started
22 crews will start in the competition, although only 19 crews appear in the on-line protocol. Thus, in the first race, two “surpluses” must be identified, which will not start in the second race. Melbārds start number 17.
The start record of the track in Königze belongs to the Melbārzs foursome (4.73 seconds) and it was achieved in February 2017. The track record belongs to Lohner – 48.26 seconds and was also achieved in February 2017.
For the third time in the season, the World Cup will be a four-way bobsleigh competition. This time only one Latvian crew with pilot Oskars Melbārds will start in them. Pushers – Dāvis Spriņģis, Matīss Miknis and Krists Lindenblats, for whom this is only the second quartet competition in his career.
