Russia sweeps gold medals at World Cup skeleton race

Published Jan. 4, 2019 10:50 a.m. ET

ALTENBERG, Germany (AP) — Alexander Tretiakov and Elena Nikitina swept the gold medals for Russia on Friday at the first World Cup skeleton races of the new year.

Tretiakov was an easy winner in the men's race, with 2018 Olympic gold medalist Yun Sungbin of South Korea taking second and Russia's Nikita Tregubov placing third. Nikitina won the women's event over Germany's Jacqueline Loelling, and Russia's Yulia Kanakina was third for her first World Cup medal.

It was the second win of the season for both Tretiakov and Nikitina, both of whom were implicated in the 2014 Sochi Olympics' doping scandal. Russia has won five of the six gold medals in skeleton this season.

Kendall Wesenberg was the top U.S. woman, placing ninth. Austin Florian was ninth to lead the U.S. men.