Silver medalists Mariama Jamanka and Alexandra Burghardt (2nd L) of Germany, gold medalists Laura Nolte (3rd L) and Deborah Levi of Germany and bronze medalists Elana Meyers Taylor (2nd R) and Sylvia Hoffman of the United States pose for a photo during the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
YANQING, Beijing, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- German athletes finished a one-two in the two-woman bobsleigh of the Beijing Winter Games here on Saturday.
Laura Nolte, 23, thus became the youngest female Olympic gold medalist in the sport.
Together with brakewoman Deborah Levi, she also set a track record of the National Sliding Center of one minute and 0.7 seconds in the third run en route to their victory by four minutes and 3.96 seconds over four runs.
Compatriots Mariama Jamanka and Alexandra Burghardt placed second by 0.77 seconds, with Elana Meyers Taylor/Sylvia Hoffman of the United States took the bronze.
Nolte missed the podium of the women's monobob event on February 14, but made timely adjustments in these days.
"(I told myself that) the monobob event is over. Now I completely focus on two-woman. I'm so happy that everything worked out," Nolte told Xinhua.
Nolte appeared on the podium in six of the seven World Cup races she competed in the 2021-2022 season, with four victories. However, the victories at Beijing 2022 threw her and Levi into frenzy.
"It's all the emotions. I've never had this feeling before. It's like we are drunk, but we're not. We're just drunk on happiness," Nolte said.
"The World Cup season was good. We showed we can be on the very top of the podium, and a lot of people expected us to get the medal. It's pressure, of course."
Taking about the new track record, the Olympic champion said: "We went at every run like it was the first, not looking at others, and just focusing on ourselves. That paid off in the end. Coming into the finish line and seeing we did it, it's a crazy feeling you can't describe it."
"We will celebrate the victory tomorrow. This evening maybe we have to stay a little bit quiet because they (the four-man bobsledders) have race tomorrow. But we were at party," Nolte said.
Taylor, who pocketed her fifth medal on Saturday, will be the flagbearer of the U.S. delegation at the closing ceremony on Sunday.
"I can't even put into words what that means to me and I can't wait to get out there on the floor and experience it," the 37-year-old said.
The host nation's bobsledders Huai Mingming and Wang Xuan ranked 11th out of 20 pairs, and their teammates Ying Qing and Du Jiani were in 14th place in their Olympic debut. ■
Breeana Walker and Kiara Reddingius (L) of Australia react after the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)
Kaillie Humphries and Kaysha Love of the United States compete during the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
Melissa Lotholz and Sara Villani of Canada compete during the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
Silver medalists Mariama Jamanka and Alexandra Burghardt (R) of Germany celebrate on the podium during the awarding ceremony for the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
Bronze medalists Elana Meyers Taylor (L) and Sylvia Hoffman of the United States celebrate on the podium during the awarding ceremony for the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski of Canada compete during the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
Gold medalists Laura Nolte (L) and Deborah Levi of Germany pose for a photo on the podium during the awarding ceremony for the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
Mariama Jamanka and Alexandra Burghardt compete during the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
Mariama Jamanka and Alexandra Burghardt of Germany compete during the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Huai Mingming and Wang Xuan of China compete during the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)
Christine de Bruin (front) and Kristen Bujnowski of Canada react after passing the finish line during the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)
Laura Nolte (R) and Deborah Levi of Germany celebrate after the bobsleigh 2-woman heat of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)
