From Lillehammer, NOR
(February 8, 2025) – Both Kaysha Love and Bree Walker came from behind to win their first gold medals of
Germany’s Laura Nolte was the first heat leader, only .01 ahead of Australia’s Walker and .07 ahead of USA’s Love in fourth. Between Walker and Love sat Switzerland’s Melanie Hasler, .06 out of the lead with World Cup leader Lisa Buckwitz in fifth, a tenth back.
Buckwitz couldn’t quite match the amazing form she’s had most of the 2024/2025 monobob season. Her starts were fine, but the speed wasn’t there as she edged out Canada’s Cynthia Appiah by .02 to take the lead, but left the door wide open for everyone ahead of her.
Love was next. The American had won gold in Lillehammer a season ago in her first look at the track. Her start matched Buckwitz’s, but her second drive was a tenth quicker and more than enough to move into the lead.
Hasler was unable to match Love’s drive but Walker could. The Aussie made up a .06 start differential and crossed the finish line at a dead heat with Love, guaranteeing both women no worse than a silver medal.
Laura Nolte pushed off up .03 over Walker and Love. And while the German champion had what was an otherwise clean run, the speed wasn’t there at the top of the track. She made up ground late, but finished .07 back behind the duo.
For Love, the gold medal was her third in monobob action and second straight in Lillehammer. Walker’s gold was her second and 11th medal in the discipline overall.
Nolte’s bronze was the 13th medal of her monobob career.
Hasler finished fourth. .19 back, with Buckwitz fifth and Appiah sixth.
The race doubled as the European Championships, and in that race Laura Nolte was the champion, with Melanie Hasler second and Lisa Buckwitz third.
It was a strong showing by the Americans. Elana Meyers Taylor missed out by a top six by .14 and finished seventh. She leapfrogged teammate Kaillie Armbruster Humphries, who was eighth. Sylvia Hoffman had the two quickest pushes of the competition and slid her way to tenth.
For Canada, Melissa Lotholz was 14th and Erica Voss 20th in her World Cup monobob debut.
Adele Nicoll, still working back from a foot injury, was 16th for Great Britain, while Sarah Blizzard was 22nd for Australia.
With one race to go in the 2024/2025 World Cup season, Lisa Buckwitz leads Bree Walker and Laura Nolte, who are tied for second behind her. Kaysha Love is fourth and Kim Kalicki fifth. Buckwitz can clinch the title in the season finale with a finish of eighth or better.
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Kaysha Love | USA | 11 | 5.60 | 5.61 | 54.62 | 54.52 | 1:49.14 |
| 1 | Breeana Walker | AUS | 7 | 5.65 | 5.67 | 54.56 | 54.58 | 1:49.14 |
| 3 | Laura Nolte | GER | 9 | 5.68 | 5.65 | 54.55 | 54.66 | 1:49.21 |
| 4 | Melanie Hasler | SUI | 5 | 5.69 | 5.68 | 54.61 | 54.72 | 1:49.33 |
| 5 | Lisa Buckwitz | GER | 13 | 5.62 | 5.61 | 54.65 | 54.71 | 1:49.36 |
| 6 | Cynthia Appiah | CAN | 15 | 5.65 | 5.61 | 54.68 | 54.70 | 1:49.38 |
| 7 | Elana Meyers Taylor | USA | 6 | 5.72 | 5.72 | 54.71 | 54.81 | 1:49.52 |
| 8 | Kaillie Armbruster Humphries | USA | 4 | 5.79 | 5.81 | 54.69 | 54.95 | 1:49.64 |
| 9 | Debora Annen | SUI | 8 | 5.73 | 5.78 | 54.80 | 54.92 | 1:49.72 |
| 10 | Sylvia Hoffman | USA | 3 | 5.58 | 5.59 | 54.82 | 55.01 | 1:49.83 |
| 10 | Kim Kalicki | GER | 12 | 5.73 | 5.76 | 54.84 | 54.99 | 1:49.83 |
| 12 | Andreea Grecu | ROU | 10 | 5.69 | 5.72 | 54.91 | 54.96 | 1:49.87 |
| 13 | Katrin Beierl | AUT | 14 | 5.76 | 5.75 | 54.91 | 55.04 | 1:49.95 |
| 14 | Melissa Lotholz | CAN | 16 | 5.67 | 5.67 | 54.98 | 55.28 | 1:50.26 |
| 15 | Kelly van Petegem | BEL | 18 | 5.85 | 5.86 | 55.13 | 55.22 | 1:50.35 |
| 16 | Adele Nicoll | GBR | 20 | 5.82 | 5.86 | 55.02 | 55.34 | 1:50.36 |
| 17 | Margot Boch | FRA | 17 | 5.89 | 5.90 | 55.27 | 55.19 | 1:50.46 |
| 18 | Qing Ying | CHN | 21 | 5.83 | 5.89 | 55.42 | 55.28 | 1:50.70 |
| 19 | Linda Weiszewski | POL | 19 | 5.81 | 5.82 | 55.38 | 55.40 | 1:50.78 |
| 20 | Erica Voss | CAN | 23 | 5.77 | 5.80 | 55.33 | 55.56 | 1:50.89 |
| 21 | Viktoria Cernanska | SVK | 2 | 6.06 | 55.56 | |||
| 22 | Sarah Blizzard | AUS | 1 | 6.02 | 55.60 | |||
| 23 | Simidele Adeagbo | NGR | 22 | 5.88 | 55.94 |