Kaillie Humphries of Canada has won the sixth race in the 2017/2018 BMW IBSF World Cup season in Altenberg, Germany. Repeating her success of the past two years, the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Champion was unbeatable on Altenberg ice track. After setting a new track record (56.22 seconds) on her first run, she went on to secure her third win out of six races.
After the race’s two heats, Kaillie Humphries and her brakewoman Phylicia George led the US pairing of defending World Cup holder Jamie Greubel Poser and Aja Evans by 0.69 seconds. Anna Köhler of Germany and her brakewoman Annika Drazek (0.90 seconds back) finished in third, which saw Köhler make it onto the podium for the first time in her career of six World Cup races.
Ahead of the start of the Winter Games in PyeongChang in five weeks’ time, several teams celebrated their best result of the Olympic season in Altenberg, including Christina Hengster/Jennifer Onasanya (AUT) in fourth, Elfje Willemsen/Sara Aerts (BEL) in sixth and Switzerland's Sabina Hafner/Rahel Rebsamen in seventh.
Great Britains hopes disappeared when the pairing of Mica McNeill and Mica Moore crashed out and finished 20th a statement from the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation mentioned that both girls were up and about following medical assessments.
Overall, athletes from seven different countries finished in the top ten.
Kaillie Humphries (CAN, 1,269 points) has now extended her lead in the overall standings for the 2017/2018 BMW IBSF World Cup. Jamie Greubel Poser (USA, 1,189), the overall winner in 2017, is second ahead of Elana Meyers Taylor (USA, 1,166). The World Champion set a new start record (5.54 seconds) in Altenberg and finished eleventh after nearly crashing in first heat.
The World Cup now moves onto the famous track in St Moritz for the final race in the Olympic Qualification series.
Racer Ready will be reporting the results and views from the world cup races immediately the action finishes.
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