Germany's Francesco Friedrich secures 3rd straight 4-man bobsleigh season title
Canadian men 5th in Sunday's race while de Bruin, Villani were 4th on women's side
Germany's Francesco Friedrich clinched the four-man bobsled World Cup season championship Sunday, his third consecutive title in that event.
Friedrich won Sunday's four-man event in one minute 37.45 seconds in Konigssee, Germany, where he prevailed by 0.39 seconds over the Austrian sled piloted by Benjamin Maier. Germany's Johannes Lochner drove to third, 0.52 seconds behind Friedrich.
The Canadian team of Justin Kripps, Cam Stones, Ryan Sommer and Ben Coakwell was fifth in a field of 22 and stopped the clock in 1:38.21.
Kripps and Stones were fourth in Saturday's 2-man competition after earning back-to-back bronze last weekend in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Calgary's Chris Spring, who enjoyed a three-medal performance in his return to the Europe Cup circuit two weeks ago, was eighth Sunday along with Chris Patrician, Mike Evelyn and Mark Mlakar in 1:38.44.
Friedrich has won all three four-man races this season and when adding in his two-man results has 13 gold and one silver in 14 World Cup events in the 2020-21 campaign.
WATCH | Friedrick collects his 13th gold in 14 World Cup races this season:
In the women's race Sunday, Germany took gold and silver. Kim Kalicki drove to the win with Ann-Christin Strack pushing, and the team of Stephanie Schneider and Tamara Seer finished second. Elana Meyers Taylor and Sylvia Hoffman were third for the U.S.
Canada boasted a trio of top-15 finishes, led by Christine de Bruin and Sara Villani in fourth in 1:42.27. Alysia Rissling and Dawn Richardson Wilson were eighth (1:42.42) and Melissa Lotholz and Erica Voss 15th in 1:43.25.
There is one World Cup weekend remaining on the schedule, and it starts Friday in Igls, Austria.
From there, the bobsled and skeleton tours go to Altenberg, Germany, for the world championships over the first two weeks of February.
With files from CBC Sports
