Olympics-Bobsleigh-German 'titans' Lochner and Friedrich on course for two-man showdown

By Mitch Phillips

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The battle between German bobsleigh pilots Johannes Lochner and Francesco Friedrich was always likely to be one of the highlights of the Olympic sliding action and, on the evidence of this week’s training, fans are not going to be disappointed.

Germany filled all three podium places in six of the seven two-man races in this season’s World Cup, with Lochner winning six and finishing second in the other as he seeks to force his way past a compatriot on the verge of history.

Friedrich, an 18-times world champion, has a good chance of becoming the most successful male bobsleigh athlete at the Games.

After winning the four and two-man events in 2018 and 2022, he is level with fellow pilot Andre Lange and brakeman Kevin Kuske on four golds, but trails in the all-time bobsleigh rankings table thanks to Kuske's two silvers and Lange's one.

This season Friedrich has found himself playing second fiddle to Lochner, who took silver behind him in both Olympic races in 2022, but there has been nothing between them in the opening exchanges in Cortina.

In the first practice run, Lochner edged his rival into second place by 0.19 seconds, while they swapped positions in the second, with one hundredth of a second between them. Friedrich clocked two more fastest times, with one more for Lochner, who decided to opt out of the final run on Saturday.

Veteran U.S. pilot Frank Del Duca this week described the pair as “titans of our sport”.

However, nobody is about to sit back and present them with the medals, not least the third German pilot in the field, Adam Ammour.

Del Duca, the U.S. flag bearer at the opening ceremony in Cortina, has just enjoyed the best World Cup season of his career, finishing in the top six in six out of seven races, as he seeks a rare American medal in an event in which they won the first two gold medals in 1932 and 1936.

The first two runs will take place on Monday, with the medals decided on Tuesday.