CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The expected showdown between Germany's two superstar men's bobsleigh pilots turned into something of a procession on Monday as Johannes Lochner took a commanding lead at the halfway point of the Two-Man event, with Francesco Friedrich way adrift.
Friedrich won the Four- and Two-Man golds in 2018 and 2022, both ahead of Lochner, but it is the latter who has been on top this season.
Germany filled all three podium places in six of the seven Two-Man races in this season’s World Cup, with Lochner winning six of them.
There was little between the two men in training last week but in Monday's opening heat Lochner and brakeman Georg Fleischhauer were on fire from the off. They blasted out to a start record and steered a faultless line to clock a track record of 54.68 seconds.
They followed up with 55.22 to open up a huge lead of 0.80 seconds over Friedrich and Alexander Schuller. The third German sled of Adam Ammour and Alexander Schaller was third, 1.24 seconds off the pace.
Friedrich is going to need a dramatic turnaround in Tuesday's medal-deciding third and fourth runs if he is to become the sport's leading Olympian.
He is level with fellow pilot Andre Lange and brakeman Kevin Kuske on four golds, but trails in the all-time rankings table thanks to Kuske's two silvers and Lange's one.
Americans Frankie del Duca and Josh Williamson found some real speed on their second run to sit fourth, 1.34 behind and still in with a chance of denting the German hegemony.
Outsiders Mihai Cristian Tentea and George Iordache of Romania looked like they could not believe it when they ended the day fifth having been 10th after the first run.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Clare Fallon)
