CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Germany dominated the bobsleigh podiums at the last two Olympics and it will be the surprise of the Games if they do not do the same in Cortina after their athletes showed their consistency and talent to wrap an iron fist around this season's World Cup.
In the Two-Man event Germany filled all three podium places in six of the seven races, with Johannes Lochner winning six and finishing second once.
They were almost as dominant in the Four-Man with Lochner, Francesco Friedrich and Adam Ammour winning all seven races between them.
On the woman's side Laura Nolte won five of the seven Two-Woman races and also topped the Monobob standings.
In all this season, Germany won 21 of the 28 races, with 19 silver and 20 bronze for an astonishing tally of 60 medals - 51 ahead of next-best United States.
However, it is the battle for supremacy within the German men's team that has been the standout feature of the season.
Friedrich, an astonishing 18-times world champion, arrives in Cortina for his fourth Games with the chance of becoming the most successful male bobsleigh athlete in Olympic history.
After winning Four- and Two-Man in 2018 and 2022 he is level with fellow pilot Andre Lange and brakeman Kevin Kuske on four golds, but trails in the table thanks to Kuske's two silvers and Lange's one.
This season, however, Friedrich has found himself playing second fiddle to Lochner, who took silver behind him in both races in 2022, and their sometimes spicy rivalry makes their races ones not to miss.
"They are titans of our sport so watching them fight it out has been quite entertaining," U.S. pilot Frank Del Duca said on Monday.
"Friedrich had that run of Two-Man races he won in a row a couple years ago and now he's being challenged by someone in his team and shaking things up a bit, it's also good for the sport.
"We just want to be up there too, and we're doing everything we can."
The U.S. men have not won a medal since 2014 but their women have been regulars on the podium, with veterans Kaillie Humphries - formerly a winner for Canada - and Elana Meyers Taylor bringing vast medal-winning experience.
In Beijing they took gold and silver in the monobob, introduced at the last Olympics and unique in the sport in that everyone races with identical equipment.
Germany's Laura Nolte has been the strongest performer during the season but challenges could also come from Austrian, Swiss and even Australian athletes like Bree Walker, ranked second this season with three World Cup wins, who is seeking the country's first-ever medal in the sport.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips; Editing by Ken Ferris)
