From Lillehammer, NOR
(December 14, 2025) – Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi cruised to victory as part of a German podium sweep in Lillehammer.
On a track that traditionally puts on tight racing throughout the field, Nolte opened up a .26 second lead over teammates Kim Kalicki and Talea Prepens, with Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten in third just .03 behind Kalicki.
The second heat saw Switzerland’s Debora Annen and Mara Morell slide into the lead from eighth place and hang on past teammate Melanie Hasler on their way to a top six. They were eventually upended by USA’s Kaillie Armbruster Humphries and Azaria Hill who moved into what would eventually be fifth.
Kaysha Love and Jasmine Jones then took over from their American teammates from fourth place to at least give the Americans a look at the medals.
But the German contingent was too strong. Buckwtiz out-slid Love by .09 in the second heat to move into the lead and guarantee herself a medal. Kalicki was next and edged out Buckwitz by a combined .06.
But it was Nolte who out-drove everyone. Her second push with Levi was second quickest of the heat but from there she was quickest at every split on her way to a yawning .56 second victory over Kalicki, with Buckwitz third.
Love and Jones took fourth ahead of Armbruster Humphries in fifth, with Annen and Morrell in sixth.
USA’s Elana Meyers Taylor and Sylvia Hoffman were ninth to help put all three American sleds in the top ten.
Canada’s Melissa Lotholz and Dawn Richardson Wilson were tenth, Cynthia Appiah and Skylar Sieben 15th and Kristen Bujnowski and Kelsey Mitchell 17th.
Adele Nicoll and Ashleigh Nelson put down a big second run and slid from 16th to 13th.
With three races down in the two-woman World Cup season, Laura Nolte leads Kaysha Love by 63 points. Kim Kalicki, Kaillie Humphries, and Lisa Buckwtiz round out the top five.
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Nolte / Levi | GER | 9 | 5.26 | 5.27 | 51.72 | 51.77 | 1:43.49 |
| 2 | Kalicki / Prepens | GER | 4 | 5.30 | 5.31 | 51.98 | 52.07 | 1:44.05 |
| 3 | Buckwitz / Schuten | GER | 5 | 5.31 | 5.26 | 52.01 | 52.10 | 1:44.11 |
| 4 | Love / Jones | USA | 8 | 5.28 | 5.30 | 52.10 | 52.19 | 1:44.29 |
| 5 | Armbruster Humphries / Hill | USA | 10 | 5.36 | 5.39 | 52.22 | 52.21 | 1:44.43 |
| 6 | Annen / Morell | SUI | 16 | 5.43 | 5.42 | 52.31 | 52.21 | 1:44.52 |
| 7 | Beierl / Pichler | AUT | 7 | 5.40 | 5.41 | 52.16 | 52.38 | 1:44.54 |
| 8 | Hasler / Pasternack | SUI | 12 | 5.29 | 5.30 | 52.30 | 52.32 | 1:44.62 |
| 9 | Meyers Taylor / Hoffman | USA | 13 | 5.38 | 5.42 | 52.37 | 52.31 | 1:44.68 |
| 10 | Lotholz / Richardson Wilson | CAN | 14 | 5.40 | 5.38 | 52.40 | 52.37 | 1:44.77 |
| 11 | Blatty / von Jackowski | SUI | 11 | 5.40 | 5.41 | 52.54 | 52.29 | 1:44.83 |
| 12 | Walker / Reddingius | AUS | 1 | 5.42 | 5.38 | 52.40 | 52.52 | 1:44.92 |
| 13 | Nicoll / Nelson | GBR | 19 | 5.48 | 5.47 | 52.68 | 52.29 | 1:44.97 |
| 14 | Boch / Goureau | FRA | 15 | 5.44 | 5.45 | 52.53 | 52.53 | 1:45.06 |
| 15 | Appiah / Sieben | CAN | 18 | 5.43 | 5.40 | 52.63 | 52.50 | 1:45.13 |
| 16 | Huai / Wang | CHN | 17 | 5.41 | 5.45 | 52.77 | 52.53 | 1:45.30 |
| 17 | Bujnowski / Mitchell | CAN | 6 | 5.38 | 5.41 | 52.74 | 52.63 | 1:45.37 |
| 18 | Weiszewski / Adamek | POL | 3 | 5.37 | 5.38 | 52.61 | 52.79 | 1:45.40 |
| 19 | Ying / Wang | CHN | 2 | 5.53 | 5.54 | 53.19 | 52.81 | 1:46.00 |
| 20 | Voigt / Bonde | DEN | 20 | 5.63 | 5.62 | 53.20 | 52.83 | 1:46.03 |
| 21 | Tajcnarova / Indruchova | CZE | 21 | 5.47 | 53.39 |