aYou can count on the smallest in the German national team. Kim Kalecki, 22, and Laura Nolte, a year older than her, secured a successful start to the two-man world bobsleigh championships in Altenburg in silver and bronze. After a total of four runs, Calecki and Anne Kristen Struck were just 0.35 seconds behind Kylie Humphries of the US on Saturday. “I’m completely satisfied, we showed what we can do.” Kaley, who repeated her flip flop last year with second place behind two-time Olympic champion Humphries, said: “Kylie is very strong here.

Young world champion Nolte won her first medal with Deborah Levy. Nolte, who fell in the second round of the previous year at the World Championships, scored the fastest starting times in all four rounds, but made several mistakes in the 17 corners of the Ice Channel despite his lead. “When you think about last year, it kept me busy for a long time.” Nolte said, with tears in his eyes, “So I’m glad I succeeded.

Stephanie Schneider referred to her class after the two had failed to run the day before and raced from eighth to fourth place with Leonie Vibe. Pyeongchang Olympic champion Mariyama Jamanka came in sixth and once again lost a medal with Vanessa Marc.

Undisputedly, Francesco Friedrich led a comfortable progress on the mini-sleigh. This means that the double Olympic champion marches into the World Cup record tournament in the first half. Because with his tenth title, he will be the only world record winner after Italian Eugenio Monti won nine gold medals.