Kaillie Humphries Wins Again, This Time With Elana Meyers Taylor Second, In Monobob World Cup

Kaillie Humphries sets a new track record and goes fastest in her first run during the Women's Monobob World Series Koenigssee at LOTTO Bayern Eisarena Koenigssee on Jan. 22, 2021 in Koenigssee, Germany.

Kaillie Humphries is quickly establishing herself as the favorite for the Olympic debut of women’s monobob next winter after winning her second world cup race in as many weeks.
One week after claiming the top spot in the sport’s first-ever world cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Humphries was first again on Saturday in Koenigssee, Germany. Fellow American Elana Meyers Taylor was just behind her in second, improving three spots from her debut in Switzerland.
Monobob is a discipline of bobsled in which there are no push athletes, just a pilot. Because it involves fewer athletes and everyone uses identical sleds, officials hope it will have a lower barrier to entry and allow more countries to be competitive.
The sport has been contested at the Winter Youth Olympic Games since 2016, and women’s monobob will make its Olympic debut in 2022 in Beijing. The introduction of women’s monobob will also establish equal medal opportunities in the sport for men and women.
Humphries, already a two-time Olympic gold medalist in two-woman bobsled (competing for Canada), is proving a natural.
She led all racers with a time of 53.36 seconds in the first run, with Germany’s Stephanie Schneider .30 of a second back and Meyers Taylor .33 back. In the second run Humphries again posted the fastest time of 53.39 for a combined time of 1:46.75. Meyers Taylor posted the next fastest time of 53.68 to leapfrog Schneider and take second, .62 of a second behind Humphries.
Meyers Taylor is a three-time Olympic medalist in two-woman bobsled, and won silver medals in 2014 and 2018 as a driver.
Also on Saturday, U.S. men’s pilot Codie Bascue combined with Kris Horn to finish 11th in the two-man bobsled, a career best for that event.
The world cup weekend in Koenigssee wraps up Sunday with competitions in two-woman and four-man bobsled.