From Winterberg, GER
(Dec. 5, 2020) – Germany’s Hans Peter Hannighofer edged out Switzerland’s ichael Kuonen to open the 2020/2021 IBSF European Cup two-man bobsled season.
The German pilot had the fasst time in the first heat by just .04 over Russia’s Rostislav Gaitiukevich and .09 over Kuonen. On the second run the Russian faltered, setting only the seventh quickest time of the heat and falling behind Kuonen. While Hannighofer had only the fourth quickest time of the second heat, his first run advantage was enough to beat out Kuonen by .08.
The gold for Hannighofer was his first in IBSF European Cup competition, his previous best finish was third in the previous season’s European Cup two-man race. He also won bronze in the four-man competition the next day.
Kuonen’s silver was also a career best as a pilot.
Gaitiukevich held on for third, a tenth ahead of Germany’s Maximilian Illmann in fourth. France’s Romain Heinrich finished fifth after coming into the second heat in fourth.
Latvia’s Oskars Kibermanis finished sixth after coming into the first heat in 13th. He had the fastest run of the second heat to move him well up the order.
Lamin Deen was the top finishing British slider in eighth, moving up from tenth in the first heat. Teammates Adam Baird and James Brown finished 23rd and 24th respectively, while John Stanbridge rounded out the British effort in 32nd.
Liechtenstein’s Martin Kranz finished 28th after the 31st quickest start of the race, while Australis’s Evan Ohanlon finished 31st.
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Hannighofer / Röder | GER | 9 | 5.26 | 5.23 | 56.08 | 56.25 | 1:52.33 |
| 2 | Kuonen / Tanner | SUI | 6 | 5.25 | 5.23 | 56.17 | 56.24 | 1:52.41 |
| 3 | Gaitiukevich / oshelev | RUS | 4 | 5.17 | 5.12 | 56.12 | 56.34 | 1:52.46 |
| 4 | Illmann / Wobeto | GER | 5 | 5.31 | 5.27 | 56.29 | 56.27 | 1:52.56 |
| 5 | Heinrich / Lefebvre | FRA | 10 | 5.31 | 5.25 | 56.22 | 56.36 | 1:52.58 |
| 6 | Kibermanis / Lindenblats | LAT | 12 | 5.28 | 5.25 | 56.57 | 56.19 | 1:52.60 |
| 7 | Kaufmanis / Nungurs | LAT | 14 | 5.28 | 5.25 | 56.57 | 56.19 | 1:52.76 |
| 8 | Deen / Letts | GBR | 2 | 5.34 | 5.29 | 56.44 | 56.34 | 1:52.78 |
| 9 | de Bruin / Franjic | NED | 11 | 5.27 | 5.28 | 56.25 | 56.54 | 1:52.79 |
| 10 | Cipulis / Kleinbergs | LAT | 19 | 5.28 | 5.27 | 56.45 | 56.35 | 1:52.80 |
| 11 | Rohner / Rolli | SUI | 16 | 5.28 | 5.27 | 56.39 | 56.46 | 1:52.85 |
| 12 | Jannusch / Ebert | GER | 7 | 5.33 | 5.30 | 56.45 | 56.45 | 1:52.90 |
| 13 | Zielasko / Rödiger | GER | 17 | 5.20 | 5.24 | 56.68 | 56.25 | 1:52.93 |
| 14 | Berzins / Bebriss | LAT | 13 | 5.24 | 5.21 | 56.41 | 56.53 | 1:52.94 |
| 15 | Tentea / Dobre | ROU | 8 | 5.26 | 5.29 | 56.38 | 56.60 | 1:52.98 |
| 16 | Moulinier / Juillard | SUI | 1 | 5.36 | 5.35 | 56.66 | 56.52 | 1:53.18 |
| 17 | Dobes / Prochazka | CZE | 22 | 5.40 | 5.31 | 56.78 | 56.46 | 1:53.24 |
| 18 | Kuzmenko / Baklanov | RUS | 21 | 5.25 | 5.26 | 56.80 | 56.45 | 1:53.25 |
| 19 | Andrianov / Belugin | RUS | 20 | 5.34 | 5.34 | 56.65 | 56.69 | 1:53.34 |
| 20 | Geiger / Eckschlager | AUT | 23 | 5.43 | 5.42 | 56.93 | 56.69 | 1:53.62 |
| 21 | Follador / Hufschmid | SUI | 18 | 5.40 | 57.03 | |||
| 22 | Silic / Nikpalj | CRO | 3 | 5.44 | 57.07 | |||
| 23 | Baird / Coleman | GBR | 26 | 5.47 | 57.25 | |||
| 24 | Taborsky / Noskovic | SVK | 24 | 5.42 | 57.33 | |||
| 24 | Brown / Hames | GBR | 15 | 5.35 | 57.33 | |||
| 26 | Servelle / Riou | MON | 33 | 5.64 | 57.54 | |||
| 27 | Novakovic / Borkovic | SRB | 27 | 5.48 | 57.71 | |||
| 28 | Kranz / Beck | LIE | 31 | 5.65 | 57.95 | |||
| 29 | Behounek / Lecjaks | CZE | 29 | 5.49 | 58.01 | |||
| 30 | Baechler / Drouillet | FRA | 28 | 5.53 | 58.12 | |||
| 31 | Ohanlon / Newbury | AUS | 25 | 5.65 | 58.99 | |||
| 32 | Stanbridge / Cortes-Tankard | GBR | 32 | 5.40 | 60.00 | |||
| 33 | Bagge / Darville | DEN | 30 | 6.51 | 61.53 |
