<
>

Germany wins women's bobsled World Cup opener, U.S. wins bronze

WHISTLER, British Columbia -- Kim Kalicki and Anabel Galander of Germany won the opening women's bobsled World Cup race of the season on Saturday, holding off the Swiss duo of Melanie Hasler and Nadja Pasternack.

Kalicki drove to the win in 1 minute, 45.93 seconds. Hasler's time was 1:46.13.

Kaillie Humphries and Emily Renna of the U.S. were third in 1:46.34. It was Humphries' 10th time competing in a major international race -- either a World Cup or Olympics -- in Whistler, and she's medaled in all 10 of those events.

Renna got a medal in her World Cup debut. Humphries now has 58 medals in World Cup women's races.

Only eight sleds were entered in the women's race, with just seven finishing. Riley Compton and Macy Tarlton of the U.S. crashed in their first run and didn't qualify for a second run because the sled didn't cross the finish line.

In the four-man race later Saturday, Germany's Francesco Friedrich got his second win of the weekend. The Olympic and world champion also won the two-man race Friday.

He drove to a win by nearly a half-second over the sled piloted by Britain's Brad Hall. Canada's sled, driven by Austin Taylor, was third.

The U.S. sled of Frank Del Duca, Manteo Mitchell, Hakeem Abdul-Saboor and Adrian Adams was eighth.

Germany had a sled not finish. The sled driven by Christoph Hafer was damaged at the end of the first run of the two-heat race when the brakes failed and it actually exited the end of the track.