Johannes Lochner, front, and Erec Bruckert, back, helped Germany to win gold at the IBSF World Cup and European Championships in the two-man bobsleigh ©IBSF

Germany underlined their domination of the combined International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup and European Championships in Altenberg, with Johannes Lochner and Erec Bruckert winning the two-man bobsleigh event outright.

Olympic silver medallist Lochner combined with Bruckert to record a total time of 1min 51.50sec.

They ranked third on their first run with a time of 55.60 on the Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, and followed it with the quickest time on the second run of 55.90.

Switzerland's Michael Vogt and Sandro Michel had narrowly led on the first run with a time of 55.50, but were 0.15 slower than the German duo on the second to finish 0.05 adrift with their combined time.

Francesco Friedrich and Alexander Schüller of Germany finished third with a time of 1:51.88 from runs of 55.53 and 56.35.

Both athletes contributed to Germany's four-man gold at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where Friedrich also won the two-man event.

Those results mean Lochner leads the overall two-man season standings with 1,292 points, followed by Friedrich on 1,236 and Britain's Brad Hall on 1,206.

Hall finished fourth with Lawrence Taylor in 1:51.94 in Altenberg, narrowly missing out on what would have been Britain's first European Championships medal in this event since 1968.

Germany's Laura Nolte finished second in the women's monobob World Cup event in Altenberg, and was the highest-ranked European athlete ©IBSF
Germany's Laura Nolte finished second in the women's monobob World Cup event in Altenberg, and was the highest-ranked European athlete ©IBSF

In the women's monobob, the United States' Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries earned her third win of the season, clocking the quickest time on both runs with 1:00.33 and 1:00.28 efforts.

She finished on 2:00.61.

German home favourite Laura Nolte, a two-woman Olympic gold medallist, was the fastest European with runs of 1:00.79 and 1:00.34 to finish in 2:01.13.

She finished second for the World Cup standings, and was crowned European champion.

Australia's Breeana Walker ranked third in the race in 2:01.89 with runs of 1:00.91 and 1:00.97.

Sixth-placed Andreea Grecu of Romania took European silver with runs of 1:01.19 and 1:01.26 giving her a total of 2:02.45, with Germany's Kim Kalicki 0.08 slower in earning European bronze.

Humphries extended her IBSF World Cup lead with 1,295 points, followed by Nolte on 1,230 and Canada's Cynthia Appiah on 1,106 after she climbed from ninth to fifth on her second run.

The IBSF World Cup and European Championships are set to conclude tomorrow with the two-woman and four-man bobsleigh events.