Yanqing, China, :Francesco Friedrich is poised to win another double of bobsleigh golds at a Winter Olympics as the German pilot holds a slender overnight lead in the four-man event — but he was not happy with the condition of the track in China.
“It’s totally rutted, it is no fun to ride because you keep getting into grooves,” Friedrich complained after training Thursday, then he sat out three of Friday’s four practice heats.
However, Friedrich and his team found plenty of speed when it mattered at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre, north of Beijing, in Saturday’s opening heats.
He was second in the first, marginally slower than fellow German pilot Johannes Lochner, before Friedrich stormed back in the second to hold an overnight lead of 0.03sec.
“Actually, that’s nothing on this track,” Lochner said. “The race starts at zero tomorrow.”
However Friedrich said his team has “luck on our side that we have the track first” as the race leaders will go off as the first bobsleigh in Sunday’s opening heat.
Canada’s Justin Kripps, who shared Olympic gold in the two-man event with Friedrich four years ago in a rare dead heat, sits third 0.38sec back.
“It’s pretty tough,” said Kripps on challenging his German rivals.
“They have really good equipment, they’re pretty fast.
“Good starts from Friedrich, we’re right there with Lochner, but he has really good speed down the track.”
The medals will be decided on Sunday, the final day of the Games.
Friedrich, 31, is on the verge of making history by repeating the double of Olympic golds he won in the two and four-man events at the Pyeongchang Games.
He already secured the two-man title Tuesday when Germany became the first nation to take all three medals in an Olympic bobsleigh event.
“We can talk about it tomorrow, now we have to focus on our next two runs,” said Friedrich.
Germany are on track to finish these Winter Games with nine of the 10 gold medals in the sliding sports.
Laura Nolte, the 23-year-old in her first Olympics, goes into Saturday’s two-woman bobsleigh decider as overnight leader.
Her German team-mate Mariama Jamanka, 31, the defending champion, is just 0.50sec behind her.
