Fräbel Wins Second Straight in Oberhof

From Oberhof, GER

(January 23, 2026) – Merle Fräbel’s outstanding Olympic season continued in Oberhof, where she won her second straight on the German track while once again holding off Lisa Schulte in the process.

Schulte took the lead in the first heat ahead of Fräbel, with teammate Hannah Prock sliding in between Schulte and the German.

But it was Julia Taubitz with the big run in the second heat. The reigning World Cup champion had put down a middling run in the first heat but threw down a strong second run to take the lead from USA’s Summer Britcher. She then held her spot in the leader’s box as she held back Elina Bota, Anna Berreiter, Verna Hofer and previous week’s bronze medalist Natalie Maag.

L-R: Schulte, Fräbel, Taubitz (Courtesy FIL / Michael Kristen)

Fräbel was the first slider to out-slide Taubitz over two heats as she put down a big second run to edge out her teammate by just over a tenth with Prock and Schulte still to go.

Up next was Prock. The two-race winner on the season has a bit of trouble up top and was unable to rally entirely, eventually finishing just behind Maag in what would eventually be seventh place.

Schulte was the final slider in the second heat. Coming into the heat just under a tenth of a second ahead of Fräbel. Her second start was quicker than Fräbel’s, but her slide just wasn’t able to match her German rival’s. Coming down nearly two tenths behind Fräbel in the heat, Schulte took silver by a tenth behind Fräbel, with Fräbel winning gold.

The win for Fräbel was her second straight and third medal on the season. For Schulte, the silver was her third in four races.

Bota finished the race in fourth place, with Berreiter in fifth and Maag sixth.

Summer Britcher was the top American in ninth place, with teammate Ashley Farquharson in 15th.

Caitlin Nash put together two solid runs to finish 12th. Teammate Embyr-Lee Susko was 18th and Trinity Ellis 21st.

Kaia Hatton was 29th for Great Britain.

With two races remaining in the World Cup season, Lisa Schulte has a 15 point lead over Julia Taubitz, with Fräbel just four points behind Taubitz in third. Hannah Prock and Summer Britcher round out the top five.

Results:

Pos Name Nation Bib Start 1 Start 2 Run 1 Run 2 Total
1 Merle Fräbel GER 12 7.654 7.663 41.752 41.578 1:23.330
2 Lisa Schulte AUT 15 7.661 7.655 41.684 41.751 1:23.435
3 Julia Taubitz GER 13 7.693 7.663 41.816 41.651 1:23.467
4 Elina Ieva Bota LAT 9 7.521 7.530 41.813 41.715 1:23.528
5 Anna Berreiter GER 14 7.606 7.590 41.811 41.764 1:23.575
6 Natalie Maag SUI 10 7.654 7.659 41.785 41.796 1:23.581
7 Hannah Prock AUT 17 7.661 7.701 41.731 41.880 1:23.611
8 Verena Hofer ITA 6 7.620 7.642 41.797 41.870 1:23.667
9 Summer Britcher USA 16 7.631 7.610 41.827 41.878 1:23.705
10 Kendija Aparjode LAT 8 7.638 7.632 41.833 41.908 1:23.741
11 Dorothea Schwarz AUT 7 7.680 7.674 42.106 41.764 1:23.870
12 Caitlin Nash CAN 4 7.634 7.631 41.964 41.969 1:23.933
13 Sandra Robatscher ITA 5 7.671 7.668 41.944 41.994 1:23.938
14 Melina Fischer GER 3 7.745 7.666 42.037 41.908 1:23.945
15 Ashley Farquharson USA 11 7.667 7.714 42.032 42.022 1:24.054
16 Zane Kaluma LAT 18 7.689 7.677 42.022 42.096 1:24.118
17 Nina Zöggeler ITA 1 7.754 7.766 42.104 42.212 1:24.316
18 Embyr-Lee Susko CAN 19 7.710 7.750 42.193 42.148 1:24.341
19 Daria Olesik AIN 2 7.655 7.650 41.973 42.447 1:24.420
20 Tove Kohala SWE 20 7.741 7.722 42.270 42.275 1:24.545
21 Ioana-Corina Buzatoiu ROU 23 7.711 42.271
22 Trinity Ellis CAN 21 7.727 42.277
23 Yulianna Tunytska UKR 24 7.654 42.403
24 Olena Smaha UKR 22 7.659 42.441
25 Hyesun Jung KOR 25 7.749 42.467
26 Klaudia Domaradzka POL 28 7.709 42.558
27 Veronica Ravenna ARG 26 7.904 42.734
28 Elsa Desmond IRL 27 7.799 42.893
29 Kaia Hatton GBR 30 7.796 43.077
30 Yubin Shin KOR 29 7.847 43.120