Make it five for five for Steve Holcomb.
The Olympic champion U.S. driver has started the World Cup season by winning the first five races, taking a two-man event in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Holcomb and push athlete Steve Langton dominated in a two-run time of 1 minute, 50.62 seconds, and by a comfortable margin of .63 of a second. Second through eighth place was separated by .61.
“[It was] snowing, we had to put down a really good first time, and I think we had a great trip, great push that put us in a good lead [.53 of a second],” said Holcomb, who wore his customary blue Superman shirt under his uniform. “It gave me the opportunity to kind of relax a little bit the second run. I made a few mistakes but kept us in the lead.
“It’s been a good day. It’s been a good year so far. Just have got to keep the momentum going.”
Could Langton tell if Holcomb made any mistakes?
“It’s Holcomb,” he said. “He doesn’t really make mistakes.”
Americans Nick Cunningham and Dallas Robinson took third, .01 of a second behind Swiss Beat Hefti.
“It hurts,” Cunningham said of the slim margin. “But just being in contention with some of the best in the world was unbelievable.”
The final U.S. sled, with Cory Butner and Chuck Berkeley, was fourth.
Holcomb also won the first three two-man events last season and won one more medal (bronze) over the final six two-man World Cup races in Europe.
He hasn’t won a two- or four-man World Cup race in Europe in nearly four years.
Holcomb continued his success at Lake Placid, where he swept the two- and four-man World Championships in 2012.
The Lake Placid World Cup continues with another two-man race Saturday morning. Universal Sports will have coverage.
Lake Placid Two-Man Race 1
1. Steve Holcomb/Steve Langton (USA) 1:50.62
2. Beat Hefti/Alex Baumann (SUI) 1:51.25
3. Nick Cunningham/Dallas Robinson (USA) 1:51.26
4. Cory Butner/Chuck Berkeley (USA) 1:51.43
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