Kaillie Humphries reigns supreme in boblseigh World Cup curtain-raiser

The 32-year-old, who took gold in Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014, topped the women's bobsleigh podium by a whisker in Lake Placid, United States, getting the better of Elana Meyers Taylor, who was competing on home soil, and Germany's Stephanie Schneider at the foot of Mount Van Hoevenberg.

Humphries and her brakewoman Melissa Lotholz began the day's second session at the top of the leaderboard following an opening run of 59.96 and an assured 57.44 saw the Canadian sled post a combined time of 1:54.40, just 0.03 seconds ahead of Meyers Taylor and her partner Lauren Gibbs (1:54.43).

Completing the rostrum after a fine second heat was Germany's former junior world champion Stephanie Schneider.

Fourth-last to head out onto the track for a second run, Schneider and brakewoman Lisa-Marie Buckwitz racked up 57.50, bringing up a total of 1:54.60.

The United States' Jamie Greubel Poser and Aja Evans then went around in 57.52, which saw them record 1:54.61 in total, sealing a dramatic third-place for the German sled.

Germany's Mariama Jamanka (1:54.82), Canada's Christine de Bruin (1:54.899) and Alysia Rissling (1:55.17) and Great Britain's Mica McNeill (1:55.26) made up the rest of the top eight.

Sportsbeat 2017