In company with Alexander Schueller, the Pyeongchang 2018 two-man and four-man gold medallist produced the fastest time in both runs, totalling 1min 43.08sec, to secure an eleventh win in the 12 two-man races held so far this season.

This triumph took Friedrich to 2,685 points in the overall two-man World Cup standings, ahead of their German rival Johannes Lochner, who has 2,453, and the Czech Republic’s Dominik Dvorak, fourth on the day, who are on 1,880.

Latvia's Oskars Kibermanis and Matiss Miknis were second in 1:43.80, with Russia's Rostislav Gaitiukevich and Mikhail Mordasov earning third place in 1:43.90.

It was the first World Cup podium finish for Gaitiukevich, the junior European champion.

Australia’s Breeana Walker won the women’s monobob in a track record.

Walker, who switched to bobsleigh from athletics in 2016, won the first women’s monobob event in 2018, and earned three further victories last season.

On December 12 last year she won the second race of the 2020/21 World Series in Innsbruck and today she repeated that success, leading after the first run having clocked 55.33sec.

Walker held onto victory with the fastest second run of 55.51 to total a track record 1:50.84.

Second place went to Elana Meyers Taylor of the United States, 0.23 back, and third place was earned by Canada’s Melissa Lotholz, 0.38 back.