Love wins monobob World Cup gold for U.S., Canada’s Lotholz fifth

By: The Associated Press Posted: 9:38 AM CST Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 Last Modified: 10:47 AM CST Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025

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IGLS, Austria (AP) — Reigning world champion Kaysha Love of the U.S. claimed the fourth women’s monobob World Cup win of her bobsled career Saturday, rallying in the second run of the two-heat race for the victory.

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Love was second behind Australia’s Bree Walker going into the final run at the Igls-Innsbruck track. But Love’s second-run time of 55.97 seconds was the fastest of the day, and that was enough.

Germany’s Laura Nolte — now tied with Love atop the World Cup monobob standings — was second, 0.17 seconds back. Germany’s Lisa Buckwitz took third and Walker settled for fourth.

Winner Kaysha Love of the United States celebrates after the women's monobob race at the Bobsleigh World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Canada’s Melissa Lotholz from Barrhead, Alta., finished fifth, Kristen Bujnowski of Mount Brydges, Ont., was 10th and Toronto’s Cynthia Appiah placed 14th.

Kaillie Humphries, a former Olympic champion pilot for Canada, was ninth for the United States.

The best two-man rivalry in bobsled — Germany vs. Germany — saw another close finish, with Johannes Lochner nipping Francesco Friedrich by five-hundredths of a second on Saturday.

Lochner is now 2-for-2 in two-man races this World Cup season, teaming with Georg Fleischhauer to finish two runs in 1 minute, 45.08 seconds. Friedrich, who swept the two- and four-man golds at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Games, paired with Alexander Schaller to finish in 1:45.13.

Germany swept the medals in two-man, with Adam Ammour and Tim Becker finishing third in 1:45.89. Canada’s two-man teams didn’t qualify for a second run after the first.

There are two-woman and four-man races at Igls on Sunday.

No skeleton races

There were no skeleton races at the World Cup in Igls after a majority of athletes voted to cancel this weekend’s slate, citing inadequate track preparation and a lack of training time. Those races will be rescheduled for Dec. 20-21 at Sigulda, Latvia.

Germany sweeps luge test events

At Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, on Saturday, the world’s top luge athletes formally raced for the first time on the track where the Olympics will be held in February.

And Germany, the traditional sliding power, swept the wins.

Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa got a second-place finish in men’s doubles for the U.S., but reigning world champions Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz took gold. Germany was also third in that race, with Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt finishing just behind the Americans.

In women’s doubles, Germany’s Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina prevailed, with Italy’s Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer taking second and world champions Selina Egle and Lara Kipp of Austria placing third.

Calgary’s Kailey Allan and Beattie Podulsky finished 15th.

In women’s singles, Germany’s Merle Fraebel won over teammate Julia Taubitz, with Austria’s Lisa Schulte third.

Embyr-Lee Susko and Trinity Ellis, both of Whistler, B.C., slid to 14th and 15th respectively.

There is a men’s singles race Sunday, as well as a team relay. The races this weekend on the Olympic track do not count toward the World Cup standings.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics