Elana Meyers Taylor takes bobsleigh glory in dramatic final run

The American pair eventually stopped the clock on 3:24,75, just 0.03 seconds better off than Olympic Champion Kaillie Humphries and Melissa Lotholz – with the two teams unable to be separated in their fourth and final run of 50.75.

Four second-placed runs were enough for the Canadian to take the runners-up spot, while American duo Jamie Greubel Poser and Aja Evans were rewarded for an excellent final run to take the last spot on the podium.

The home favourites were not to hit their fluent bests in Germany however, as Mariama Jamanka and Annika Drazek were left to rue their 11th-placed second run, finishing 0.60 seconds off the total pace.

Mica McNeill and Mica Moore placed 16th for Great Britain, unable to capitalise on their seventh-placed standing after the first run in the third and fourth runs on the second day of competition.

The two-man competition concludes on Sunday, while the men's and women's skeleton and the four-man bobsleigh races take place next weekend.