Photo credit: IBSF / Viesturs Lacis

ALTENBERG, Germany (December 3, 2021) – John Daly (Smithtown, N.Y.) and Austin Florian (Southington, Conn.) finished 20th and 22nd, respectively, in a heartbreaking men’s skeleton World Cup race in Altenberg this morning.

Florian pushed off the block with a start time of 5.00 seconds in the first heat, and had the fourth fastest time of the field to contend for the medals until he crashed out of the finish corner. He held onto his sled and crossed the finish line in 57.30 seconds to tie Seunggi Jung from Korea for 22nd. 

Daly clocked start times of 5.20 and 5.21 seconds for runs of 57.18 and 57.32 seconds, respectively. The three-time Olympian finished 20th with a two-run total of 1:54.50.

Team Germany claimed the gold and silver medals. Axel Jungk came back from second place to take the lead with a total time of 1:51.71. Christopher Grotheer earned the silver medal in 1:51.82, while Lavian Martins Dukurs was third with a combined time of 1:52.16.

This week’s races in Altenberg replace the Koenigssee, Germany event. Much of the track Koenigssee was washed away after torrents of floodwater pushed through large segments of the facility. The World Cup will return to Altenberg in two weeks for what was already scheduled as a stop on the tour, and the American men will get another chance to vie for the medals.

World Cup action resumes in Altenberg tomorrow with the women’s monobob race at 9 a.m., and the two-man bobsled competition at 1:30 p.m. Streaming will be available via desktop at olympics.com/en/live/, and via mobile, tablet and connected television platforms on the Olympic Channel app. Check local listings for broadcast times on the Olympic Channel and OlympicChannel.com.

For media inquiries, please contact USABS Marketing and Communications Director Amanda Bird at amanda.bird@usabs.com.

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Results

1. Axel Jungk (GER) 1:51.71 (55.87, 55.84);

2. Christopher Grotheer (GER) 1:51.82 (55.77, 56.05);

3. Martins Dukurs (LAT) 1:52.16 (56.05, 56.11);

20. John Daly (USA) 1:54.50 (57.18, 57.32);

T-22. Austin Florian (USA) (57.30, DNS);

About USA Bobsled/Skeleton

USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS), based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. For more information, please visit the USABS website at www.usabs.com. Individuals interested in becoming a bobsled or skeleton athlete can visit www.usabobsledskeleton.com.