Photo credit: IBSF / Viesturs Lacis

IGLS, Austria (November 27, 2021) – Codie Bascue (Whitehall, N.Y.) and Carlo Valdes (Newport Beach, Calif.) were in the medal hunt after the first heat of the two-man bobsled World Cup in Igls today, but Bascue struggled to load into the sled at the start and the team ultimately finished 10th. Hunter Church (Cadyville, N.Y.) and Hakeem Abdul Saboor (Powhatan, Va.) finished 20th. 

Bascue and Valdes posted the ninth fastest start time of 5.17 seconds in today’s opening heat, and Bascue threaded together the sixth best downtime of 52.11 seconds. The field was tightly packed, and the Americans were within striking distance of the medals.

Bascue and Valdes nearly matched their start time in the second heat with a push of 5.18 seconds, but Bascue’s foot got caught on the cowling of the sled while he was loading. He managed to get settled into the sled, and was able to pilot the team to the finish in 52.43 seconds. Bascue and Valdes finished 10th with a two-run total of 1:44.54.

Church continues to make gains as he rehabilitates his foot, which needed surgery due to an injury in September. He was expected to sit in the sled at the start for the first World Cup races of the season, but Church healed quickly and was cleared to push. After last week’s opening races, Church said he has a long way to go to rebuild his fitness from the time off. 

Abdul Saboor helped power Church off the block this morning for start times of 5.23 and 5.25 seconds, and Church navigated the BMW branded sled to the finish in 52.57 and 52.61 seconds, respectively. The Americans finished 20th with a combined time of 1:45.18.

Team Germany claimed the gold and silver medals. Francesco Friedrich continued his dominance, winning with Thorsten Margis today with an aggregate time of 1:43.48. Johannes Lochner and Christian Rasp claimed silver in 1:43.84, while Justin Kripps and Cam Stones earned bronze for Canada with a total time of 1:43.96.

The Igls World Cup wraps up tomorrow with the two-woman bobsled race at 10 a.m., and the four-man bobsled competition at 2 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. Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis (GER) 1:43.48 (51.57, 51.91);

2. Johannes Lochner and Christian Rasp (GER) 1:43.84 (51.72, 52.12);

3. Justin Kripps and Cam Stones (CAN) 1:43.96 (51.84, 52.12);

10. Codie Bascue and Carlo Valdes (USA) 1:44.54 (52.11, 52.43);

20. Hunter Church and Hakeem Abdul Saboor (USA) 1:45.18 (52.57, 52.61);

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.