Latvian skeletonists Martins and Thomas Dukuru take the first two places after the first race of the second race of the World Cup season taking place in Sigulda.
Before this race, the record of the Sigulda track was 49.94 seconds reached by Martin Dukurs in February. On Friday, it was corrected by 0.15 seconds world champion Christopher Groter from Germany, who started with the first number.
Later, in 0.24 seconds, Thomas Dukurs surpassed Grotter, correcting the track record again. After a few more athletes, Martins Dukurs completed the track in 49.46 seconds and set the brother’s record by another nine hundredths of a second.
After the first race, there are two Russians Aleksandrs Tretyakovs and Nikita Tregubovs behind the first three, but next with a shared sixth place is the British Marcus Vaiet and the German Alexander Gasner.
The second trip will start at 16.45, broadcasting it live on LTV7.
Martin Dukur celebrated his 55th World Cup victory last week, while Thomas finished fourth. The Germans Felix Kaizinger and Alexander Gasner took the second place.
Last season, Martin Dukur proved his dominance on the world skeleton stage, winning two of the three biggest titles. He won the World Cup for the ninth time in his career and became the eleventh European champion. He had to settle for fourth place in the World Championships.
Meanwhile, Thomas Dukurs was sixth in the overall World Cup standings. The only time he climbed the podium was in Sigulda, where he gave in to his brother and became European vice-champion. Thomas Dukurs was seventh in the World Cup.
Two years ago, in the Sigulda stage, Martins Dukurs was second, conceding to the Russian Nikita Tregubov, but Thomas Dukurs took the sixth position.
Tregubovs and Aleksandrs Tretyakovs, one of Martin Dukurs’ fiercest competitors, will start in Sigulda during these stages, as well as world champion Christopher Groter from Germany will go on the ice track. True, not one of the leading skeletonists of recent seasons – Sunbin Yun from South Korea.
It has already been reported that before that Andy Steel won 11th place in women’s competition.
The second bobsleigh World Cup season will take place on Saturday and Sunday.
The World Cup stage in Sigulda also took place in February 2004, with competitions in women’s bobsleigh and skeleton. The victory in the men’s competition was celebrated by Thomas Dukurs at that time, who also had the only gold medal in the World Cup stages.
Since 2006, the International Federation of Bobsleigh and Skeletons has been organizing the World Cup stages together, dividing five sets of medals in one stage – in the skeleton for ladies and gentlemen, in bobsleigh for men in doubles and fours, and for bobsleighers in doubles.
However, the Sigulda track is currently not suitable for bobsleigh quad competitions, so there are two men’s doubles competitions in Latvia.
The next two stages will take place in Innsbruck, but one stage is planned in Winterberg after the new year. Stages will continue in St. Moritz and Königssee, but the end of the season is scheduled for mid-March on the Yanchin track, where the 2022 Beijing Olympics will take place. However, the progress of this stage is still under question.
–
