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The European champion was Russia’s Jelena Nikitina, who won with the best time in the second round six hundredths of a second ahead of Germany’s Tina Hermann and successfully defended her title. Flock was 0.19 seconds behind Nikitina, which meant he was also on the podium in the fifth World Cup race of the season.
Since 2013, Flock has secured three gold EMs (most recently in 2019), two silver and now for the fourth time bronze. Four years ago he worked with silver at Winterberg. On the “Gleiterbahn” a close race had been announced after the first race, Flock was only 0.06 seconds behind Hermann and at the same time as the defending World Cup champion Jacqueline Lölling. The German fell back to fourth place in the decision (+0.26), but Hermann and Nikitina couldn’t hold out.
Flock defends the leadership in the general of the World Cup
It’s Flock’s second third place this season, along with three wins. In the general classification of the World Cup, she is the only athlete with more than 1,000 points, 77 points ahead of Kimberley Bos. The Dutchwoman finished seventh, immediately behind Elisabeth Maier (CAN), wife of Austrian bobsleigh rider Benjamin Maier. The World Cup continues next Friday on the natural ice rink of St. Moritz, where Flock was proclaimed European champion in 2016. From Winterberg they go directly to Switzerland.
In the men’s category, Russian Alexander Tretyakov had previously finished the Latvian Martins Dukurs gold series. The 35-year-old won his second European title, 14 years after his victory at Königssee. Dukurs had always won continental championships since 2010, this time the six-time world champion won silver, 0.17 seconds behind. The bronze went to the German Alexander Gassner (+0.21).
Maier and Auer meet the goal
Samuel Maier reached the desired top ten in tenth place (+1.11), Florian Auer was twelfth (+1.63). All these positions also correspond to the result of the World Cup in Winterberg, the best non-European only came in 15th place. “I am very satisfied, because last season I finished 29th in Winterberg,” said Maier. Auer was not dissatisfied either: “We work very well, so the trips are more and more constant.”
National coach Walter Stern was confident throughout the season: “It was a great result for both riders on a start track where fast times are not easy to set. Now we just have to stay calm and keep working steadily. “
