Canada's Lotholz, Sieben win bronze in 2-woman bobsleigh at World Cup final

Canada's Melissa Lotholz and Skylar Sieben claimed bronze in their two-woman bobsleigh race at the final World Cup event of the season on Sunday in Lillehammer, Norway.

The result came after a last-minute decision to insert Sieben for Leah Walkeden as the brakewoman in Lotholz's sled. Walkeden decided to withdraw Sunday after battling illness all week.

Lotholz, a two-time Olympian from Barrhead, Alta., earned her first podium in 20 World Cup starts as a pilot. She has 19 World Cup and world championship medals as a brakewoman.

WATCH l Lotholz, Sieben earn World Cup bronze:

Alberta's Melissa Lotholz earns her 1st World Cup medal as a bobsleigh pilot

2 days ago

Duration 4:32

Melissa Lotholz of Barrhead, Alta., won her 20th career bobsleigh medal, but her first as a pilot, by claiming bronze in the IBSF World Cup 2-woman bobsleigh race in Lillehammer, Norway. Meanwhile, it's a first World Cup medal for her brakewoman, Skylar Sieben of Cochrane, Alta.

Lotholz and Sieben, of Cochrane, Alta., finished 0.96 seconds behind gold medallists Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi of Germany, who also topped the podium at the 2022 Olympics.

Fellow Germans Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten were 0.20 seconds back of the lead in second.

Nolte is the overall World Cup winner in two-woman bobsled for a third consecutive season.