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Friedrich Hands Reassigned Crystal Globe to Rival Lochner on Cortina Track

The public handover came after a doping sanction in Friedrich’s crew led to last season’s overall titles being reassigned.

Overview

  • During training on the new Cortina Olympic track, Francesco Friedrich gave Johannes Lochner the retroactively awarded crystal globe and joked that Lochner could finally take something golden from Cortina.
  • Lochner said he did not care much about receiving the trophy after the fact and called belated ceremonies awkward, saying he competes for the moment.
  • Friedrich lost the two-man and combined World Cup titles to Lochner after his brakeman Simon Wulff tested positive for methylhexanamine and received a 21‑month suspension.
  • Friedrich kept the four-man overall crown and his world championship titles in both sleds because Wulff did not compete in the four-man and the world titles were won without him.
  • The World Cup season opens this weekend in Cortina, which will also stage the 2026 Olympic bobsleigh events, as the long-time German rivals begin what is expected to be their final season together.