Kaillie Humphries Armbruster, now 40 and a new mother, clinched her first World Cup two-woman title since turning 40, ending a 20-race German streak and lifting U.S. rankings as the 2026 Olympics loom.
A Historic Victory
Humphries Armbruster and Emily Renna crossed the finish line first in Sigulda, Latvia, on Sunday, marking the athlete’s 31st World Cup two-woman win and her first since February 18, 2023, when she won a monobob race on the same track. “Being back on top after three years feels great,” said Humphries Armbruster. She held her son Aulden-who wore a knit cap from Cortina-on the medal podium after the race, noting, “This is my first win as a mom, and a first win ever for Emily. This is a special one for us both. I’m proud of how we performed at the start and down the track.”
Breaking Germany’s Streak
The win snapped Germany’s 20-race World Cup winning streak in the two-woman event, which had begun on January 22, 2023, in Altenberg-where Humphries Armbruster had also taken victory. Germany finished second and third in the race with Lisa Buckwitz and Lauryn Siebert, while Laura Nolte and Leonie Kluwig took bronze. Nolte, who has medaled in all eight two-woman and monobob races this season, remains the leader in the World Cup standings for both disciplines.
U.S. Momentum and Other Highlights
The U.S. women are gathering momentum ahead of the Christmas break. Humphries Armbruster is second in the World Cup two-woman standings. Reigning world monobob champion Kaysha Love has four medals in eight races this year, and Elana Meyers Taylor finished fourth in both the two-woman and monobob races at Sigulda. Meyers Taylor teamed with Jadin O’Brien-making her World Cup debut-to finish fourth in the two-woman event; O’Brien, a three-time NCAA indoor pentathlon national champion at Notre Dame, entered bobsledding less than three months ago.
In the two-man event, the fourth World Cup race of the season, Germany swept the medals again. Johannes Lochner took gold, beating Francesco Friedrich for the third time this season, who finished second. Adam Ammour earned bronze, his fourth of the season. Frank Del Duca and Hunter Powell finished sixth, leading the U.S. contingent.
Key Takeaways
- Humphries Armbruster’s win ends a 20-race German streak and boosts U.S. standings.
- Emily Renna earned her first World Cup gold as a brakewoman.
- Germany continues to dominate the two-man event with a sweep.
With the Milan Cortina Olympics approaching, the U.S. bobsleigh team’s recent successes signal strong preparation and momentum for the upcoming Games.
