Kaillie Humphries extends lead in World Cup bobsleigh standings

Kaillie Humphries of the U.S. extended her lead atop the women's bobsleigh World Cup standings Saturday, teaming with Sylvia Hoffman to pick up a bronze medal at this weekend's stop at historic Innsbruck in Austria.

American finishes 3rd, Canada just misses podium in women's race

Kaillie Humphries and Sylvia Hoffmann, right, celebrate after taking bronze in the women's bobsleigh World Cup race in Innsbruck, Austria, on Saturday. (Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press)
Kaillie Humphries of the U.S. extended her lead atop the women's bobsled World Cup standings Saturday, teaming with Sylvia Hoffman to pick up a bronze medal at this weekend's stop at historic Innsbruck in Austria.

Olympic champion Mariama Jamanka and Annika Drazek of Germany won the race in 1 minute 47.34 seconds. Laura Nolte and Erline Nolte of Germany were second in 1:47.53, barely holding off Humphries and Hoffman — third in 1:47.56.

Canadians Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski were fourth in 1:47.60.

"I really think we executed both the drive and the push today," said the 30-year-old de Bruin of Stony Plain, Alta.

Cynthia Appiah — who was making her World Cup debut as a pilot — and Dawn Richardson Wilson also represented Canada and finished 10th.

Melissa Lotholz of Canada also made her debut as a pilot and was 15th.  

WATCH | Germany takes top spot in women's race:

Jamanka, Drazek wins World Cup bobsleigh in Austria

5 years ago
Duration 3:03
Germany's Mariama Jamanka and Annika Drazek claim gold in 2-woman bobsleigh with a time of 1:47.34.

Both Appiah and Lotholz, who represented Canada at the 2018 Olympics, moved into the pilot's seat after pushing the nation's top sleds to multiple World Cup and World Championship podiums.

CBC Sports' livestream coverage concludes on Sunday with the four-man bobsleigh event beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET.

For more bobsleigh action, tune into Road to the Olympic Games on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Humphries, who did not race last season and transferred to the U.S. team from her native Canada this past September, now has a 23-point lead over Germany's Stephanie Schneider in the season standings. Schneider was fifth on Saturday.

"It was very close racing today," Humphries said after her third medal in five races this season — and the 51st of her career. "We're still behind the Germans at the start and we have some work to do, but it's a process. We're continuing to grow and I'm getting back on all of these tracks for the first time in two years. Being on the podium is fantastic."

Friedrich in control

In the two-man race later Saturday, Germany's Francesco Friedrich continued his march toward another World Cup overall title with his third victory of the season.

Friedrich and Thorsten Margis were easy winners, prevailing in 1:43.87 — nearly three-quarters of a second ahead of Britain's Brad Hall and Greg Cackett, who set a career-best by winning silver.

WATCH | Germany's Friedrich cruises to victory: 

Friedrich, Margis win 2-man bobsleigh gold in Austria

5 years ago
Duration 2:58
Germany's Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis finish first with a time of 1:43.87.

Richard Oelsner and Tobias Schneider were third for Germany. Hunter Church and Joshua Williamson were 10th for the U.S.

Justin Kripps guided Canada to 12th place along with Benjamin Coakwell. Kripps sits third in the two-man standings on the strength of a pair of bronze medals earned in Lake Placid, N.Y., in December.

With files from CBC Sports and The Canadian Press