From Altenberg, GER
(February 3, 2024) – In a race that was otherwise close through the top six, Italy’s Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer came from behind to win in what could be considered a bit of a blowout.
The Italians entered the second heat in fourth place, behind Anda Upite and Kitija Bogdanova, Dajana Eitberger and Saskia Schirmer, and Jessica Degehardt and Cheynne Rosenthal, part of a six sled battle for the lead that was all separated by less than a tenth of a second.
In the second heat it seemed like the ice was starting to give up a little bit, but then Vötter and Oberhofer threw down a big second run, over two tenths quicker than their first run to put them well into the lead by .215 over the United States’ Chevonne Forgan and Sophie Kirkby.
That lead held as sled after sled came down, unable to match the pace of the Italians. The final team down were Latvia’s Upite and Bogdanova, leaders from the first starting spot of the first heat. Their second run was good, and a tick faster than their first, but still nowhere near what Vötter and Oberhofer put down with the Italians taking gold by .201 over the Latvians.
The win for Vötter and Oberhofer, the sprint world champions, was their first in the 2023/2024 World Cup season.
Behind the Italians, Upite and Bodanova came in their first race as a duo. Upite has raced with three teammates now with the silver her best finish of the year. They edged out Germany’s Eitberger and Schirmer by just a hundredth of a second for silver, with the Germans winning bronze, their fourth medal this season.
The odd team off the podium was USA’s Forgan and Kirkby, who missed out by .004 behind Eitberger and Schirmer.
Germany’s Jessica Degenhardt and Cheynne Rosenthal finished fifth, .067 out of silver, while Selina Egle and Lara Kipp of Austria finished sixth, only .076 from silver.
The United States’ Maya Chan and Reannyn Weiler finished 11th after a big mistake in the first heat left them well off the pace.
At the halfway point of the 2023/2024 FIL World Cup season Vötter and Oberhofer lead Degenhardt and Rosenthal by just five points. Eitberger and Schirmer are third, only two points ahead of Egle and Kipp in fourth. Forgan and Kirkby round out the top five.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Vötter / Oberhofer | ITA | 11 | 5.911 | 5.927 | 42.810 | 42.527 | 1:25.337 |
| 2 | Upite / Bogdanova | LAT | 1 | 5.910 | 5.926 | 42.781 | 42.757 | 1:25.538 |
| 3 | Eitberger / Schirmer | GER | 10 | 5.982 | 5.979 | 42.800 | 42.748 | 1:25.548 |
| 4 | Forgan / Kirkby | USA | 8 | 5.915 | 5.925 | 42.870 | 42.682 | 1:25.552 |
| 5 | Degenhardt / Rosenthal | GER | 9 | 5.928 | 5.952 | 42.816 | 42.789 | 1:25.605 |
| 6 | Egle / Kipp | AUT | 12 | 5.988 | 6.009 | 42.792 | 42.822 | 1:25.614 |
| 7 | Stramaturaru / Manolescu | ROU | 6 | 6.010 | 6.029 | 43.247 | 43.267 | 1:26.514 |
| 8 | Gulijienaiti / Zhao | CHN | 4 | 6.006 | 6.053 | 43.417 | 43.368 | 1:26.785 |
| 9 | Cezikova / Jansova | CZE | 2 | 6.019 | 6.056 | 43.397 | 43.730 | 1:27.127 |
| 10 | Domowicz / Piwkowska | POL | 5 | 6.089 | 6.034 | 43.891 | 43.928 | 1:27.819 |
| 11 | Chan / Weiler | USA | 7 | 5.976 | 5.968 | 46.554 | 43.329 | 1:29.883 |
| 12 | Stetskiv / Mokh | UKR | 3 | 6.031 | 6.053 | 48.851 | 43.351 | 1:32.202 |
