The German registered a winning time of 1min 39.88sec after runs of 49.91 and 49.97 on his home track, while Latvia’s Dukurs produced his worst performance of the season.

Dukurs finished more than a second behind Gassner in 11th place as he watched his rival win for the second successive race.

With just one stage remaining, defending champion Dukurs holds a 60-point lead over Gassner at the top of the overall standings.

Olympic champion Yun Sung-bin put himself in prime position to win in Königssee after recording a track record of 49.90 in his first run.

But the South Korean had to settle for second in 1:39.92, narrowly behind Gassner.

Third place went to European champion Alexander Tretiakov in 1:40.01 after the Russian climbed from seventh on the opening run.

Germany’s Jungk Axel was fourth in 1:40.05, while Britain’s Marcus Wyatt came within a whisker of a second World Cup medal as he placed fifth in 1:40.07.

In the women's contest, defending champion Jacqueline Lölling collected her first World Cup win of the season after pulling off two solid runs of 51.23 and 51.07 to finish on 1:42.30.

Czech Anna Fernstaedt produced her best-ever result, clinching silver with 1:42.77.

There was a tie for bronze as Jane Channell of Canada and World Cup leader Janine Flock of Austria both finished on 1:42.93.

World champion Tina Hermann of Germany had set a track record with 50.93 first up but nearly crashed on her second run as she slumped to 10th place.

Flock leads the overall standings on 1,485 points ahead of Hemann on 1,339 and Lölling on 1,321.

The final IBSF World Cup skeleton races of the season are scheduled to take place on January 29.

Königssee is set to host bobsleigh competition now, starting with a two-man contest tomorrow.

This is then due to be followed by four-man and two-woman events on Sunday (January 24).

The next leg of the Women’s Monobob World Series is also scheduled to be held in Königssee tomorrow.