For the first time in thirteen years, the Bobsleigh World Championships are once again being held in Lake Placid. The chance for the Swiss to give the overpowering Germans a run for their money.
07.03.2025, 05:00
07.03.2025, 09:47
SDA
The German bobsleighers have been almost unbeatable for many years. A look at the results lists from this winter's World Cups shows just how big a challenge the Swiss bobsleighers face over the next ten days. In the men's event, 35 out of 46 possible podium places went to the Germans, in the women's event 29 out of 45. The pilots of the dominant bobsleigh nation are the clear favorites in Lake Placid.
The venue of these World Championships gives hope. For the first time since 2012, the 1980 Olympic track will once again host the title fights. The ice track in upstate New York is one of the most challenging in the world.
Start and equipment as a handicap
Although the Swiss men Michael Vogt, Cédric Follador and Timo Rohner and their crews consistently finished in the top ten, they only made it onto the podium once, through Vogt in the second-to-last race in Lillehammer. Vogt knows how difficult the task will be. He has recovered well from his intervertebral disc operation last summer and was once again the fastest Swiss skier after his late start to the season. "I feel well prepared for Lake Placid," assures the 27-year-old from Schwyz. But: "It will certainly be difficult to win a medal."
The Germans have two immense advantages. With their athleticism, they gain valuable hundredths or even tenths right at the start and they have the best equipment. This is particularly striking in the two-man bobsleigh. This is another reason why the Swiss think they have a slightly better chance with the big sled.
Vogt won the last Swiss medal two years ago in St. Moritz in third place with the two-man - at that time with Sandro Michel as pusher, who had such a serious accident just over a year ago. Three of the last four World Championships took place on the tracks in Altenberg and Winterberg, where the Germans dominate even more than usual.
Hasler sets his sights on a medal
Vogt's partner Melanie Hasler is a little more brash about her ambitions, although she also suffers from back problems. "I would really like to win a World Championship medal," she says with a laugh. Her back, which forced her to miss one of her home races in St. Moritz, is "so-so". It's not actually a bad thing, but "just really annoying". Nevertheless, the former volleyball player is fighting back.
"Lake Placid is a technically demanding course," she says, encouragingly. "You can get a lot out of it in terms of skiing." Like Vogt, the 26-year-old from Aargau believes her chances in the two-man bobsleigh are more difficult because of the material. "That's why it should go better in monobob." Standard sleds are used there. Hasler's hopes were dampened, however, when she fell ill on Thursday morning.
It will be interesting to see the second World Championship appearance of Junior World Champion Debora Annen, who has taken a big step forward this season. In general, the field of medal contenders in the women's event is much larger thanks to the strong Americans and Canadians. In the men's event, Vogt, Britain's Brad Hall and Austria's Markus Treichl are the only serious contenders for the Germans.
As always at the World Championships, the medal sets will be awarded in four runs. On the first Saturday and Sunday, the women will race in the monobob, the men in the two-man, and on the second weekend the women's two-man and men's four-man will be on the program. The temperatures - and conditions - have varied enormously over the last few days. Freezing cold was followed by a warm spell, and it is set to get much cooler again at the weekend.
Incidentally, the last world champions for the proud bobsleigh nation of Switzerland were Ivo Rüegg/Cédric Grand 16 years ago. In Lake Placid...
