Two-time Olympic champion Mariama Jamanka was crowned European champion in monobob at the dress rehearsal for the Olympic Games in Beijing. The woman from Oberhof won the combined European Championship and World Series competition on the natural ice track in St. Moritz in the European field with a hundredth of a second lead over Laura Nolte, who was third at the World Championships.
“I got my best monobob result. I’m European champion, you have to digest that first. I’m just happy right now,” said Jamanka: “St. Moritz is a track that suits me very, very much because it’s very long and the start doesn’t play such a big role.” In addition to Jamanka, Nolte received one of two German starting places at the Olympic premiere of the individual sled in Beijing (February 4th to 20th).
The first three places in the “international” classification of the race on Saturday went to Kaillie Humphries, Elana Meyers Taylor (both USA) and Cynthia Appiah.
The German women in the so-called World Series are still waiting for the first success in the young discipline if it is held as part of a World Cup. Olympic medals will be awarded for the first time in monobob at the Winter Games in China.
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