Laura Nolte Triumphs in Two-Person Bobsleigh Final and Overall World Cup

Laura Nolte, alongside her push athlete Deborah Levi, emerged victorious at the bobsleigh World Cup final in Lillehammer, securing the overall World Cup title with a commanding performance. The Olympic champions from Beijing clinched their win on the Olympic track from 1994, finishing with a time that was 0.20 seconds ahead of second-place finishers Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten. Canadian competitor Melissa Lotholz rounded out the podium in third place.

“We had great start times, and our runs were significantly better than in recent races,” said the 26-year-old Nolte, who dominated the season by winning five out of seven races, thereby earning the prestigious crystal globe trophy. Kim Kalicki from Wiesbaden finished second in the overall standings, tying with Austria’s Katrin Beierl, who also placed fourth in the race. Buckwitz, representing BRC Thüringen, secured third in the overall rankings, trailing Kalicki by just ten points, indicating strong form ahead of the World Championships in Lake Placid in three weeks.

Buckwitz Wins Crystal Globe in Monobob

The day prior, Buckwitz achieved a third-place finish, which was sufficient for her to win the overall World Cup title in the Monobob category. The event was won by Australia’s Breeana Walker, with Canada’s Cynthia Appiah finishing in second. “I’m really happy to win the overall World Cup, it means a lot to me,” said Buckwitz, who was slightly under the weather and noted that she experienced a few slips during her runs. Nolte, the reigning world champion, finished third overall behind Walker in the Monobob standings.