Bobsleigh pilots Friedrich and Nolte convinced by Olympic track

After the first inspection of the much-discussed new Olympic track in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Olympic bobsleigh champions for Beijing 2022 are very positive. "Of course, everything around it is still under construction, but the track looks finished so far, everything fits for now," said four-time Olympic champion Francesco Friedrich to the German Press Agency after the first inspection on Friday afternoon. For him, the first test runs were scheduled as part of the international training week.

The Pirna native is aiming for his third gold double at his fourth Winter Games. Anticipation is high on the new track at the Eugenio Monti Sliding Center, which was built at a cost of around 100 million euros. For a long time, it looked like the track would not be rebuilt after demolition work on the old track was completed in 2023.

Moving to Lake Placid was up for debate

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) favored holding the event on an existing track and even wanted to move to Lake Placid in the US state of New York, 6,000 kilometers away. Innsbruck was also an alternative. But the Italians prevailed.

The 35-year-old Friedrich now wants to take a close look at the season opener, because "the first World Cup will already provide a lot of information about how strong the competition will be this winter". The Olympic season kicks off in Cortina d'Ampezzo on 22 November (9.00 am) with the first World Cup race in the women's monobob before Friedrich and Co. take their turn in the two-man bobsleigh (1.00 pm).

Nolte: "Technically very demanding"

Laura Nolte, who won gold in the two-man bob together with Deborah Levi in Beijing, was also impressed by the 16 bends in the 1,445-metre-long ice labyrinth. "I really, really liked it. The track looks cool, it has many passages that are also technically very demanding. It's especially challenging in the monobob, I'm looking forward to the task," said the Winterberg native, who took her first run in the two-man bobsleigh.

Lisa Buckwitz, who won gold in Pyeongchang in 2018 as Mariama Jamanka's push athlete, is completing her test run in the monobob. "I don't want to take any risks for my push athletes," said the two-woman bobsleigh World Champion and World Championship bronze medallist in the monobob.