Nikitina topples Loelling on Altenburg track

Nikitina notched a second run of 58.83 seconds – including a new start record of 5.31 seconds – to finish with a combined time of 1:57.42, 0.37 ahead of Loelling, denying the German a hat-trick of wins on the track in the process.

Yulia Kanakina rounded off the podium, claiming her first medal of the season in what was a snow-affected day of racing.

Nikitina had held the advantage at the halfway stage after the first heat on the German slope with Loelling 0.15 seconds back and Kanakina third, with heavy snowfall hampering the latter runs of the round, including that of PyeongChang bronze medallist Laura Deas.

And after a brief break, the snow returned for the second heats, and for a time looked as though it would put the cat amongst the pigeons, with America's Kendall Wesenberg holding the lead for a lengthy period.

But as the fastest sliders returned to the track, order was restored, with track-record holder Loelling setting the bar for Nikitina with a second run of 59.05 seconds.

The Russian rose to the challenge and recorded the two fastest runs of the day as she reached 417 points for the season, stretching her advantage to seven over Tina Hermann – who finished down in fourth – now a point ahead of Loelling in third.

Sportsbeat 2019