By Nick Butler

Martins Dukurs, pictured celebrating a silver medal at Sochi 2014, continued his dominant form on the World Cup circuit ©AFP/Getty ImagesLatvia's Martins Dukurs continued his undefeated form on the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton (FIBT) World Cup Series by winning the second round in Calgary.


The 30-year-old, silver medal winner at the Winter Olympics in Sochi earlier this year, has won the last five overall World Cup titles and began his latest defence in style last week by winning comfortably in Lake Placid.  

He continued this streak in Calgary, winning by 0.90 seconds over the two runs ahead of brother Tomass, to put the duo first and second in the overall standings, in the absence of Russia's Olympic champion Alexander Tretiakov, who is expected to start his season next month.

South Korea's Sungbin Yun made history in third place on the Canadian track, 1.17 seconds back, to secure the first ever skeleton or bobsleigh World Cup podium finish for the Asian nation.

It came after a month of speculation over a potential move in location for the sliding sports venue at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, with South Korean officials having this week insisted no such move will take place. 

Sungbin Yun (right) won a historic bronze alongside Latvia's gold and silver medal winning Dukurs brothers ©FIBTSungbin Yun (right) won a historic bronze alongside Latvia's gold and silver medal winning Dukurs brothers ©FIBT




There was a home victory, meanwhile, in the women's event as the 20-year-old reigning world junior champion Elisabeth Vathje continued her breakthrough form with a narrow win on home ice.

Vathje finished second in Lake Placid behind Great Britain's Sochi 2014 winner Lizzy Yarnold, but, in the absence of the Briton, who decided to miss the event after experiencing dizziness last week, the Canadian went one better.

In a podium completely dominated by newcomers to the World Cup series, she won by 0.31 seconds from British debutant Laura Deas, while Tina Hermann of Germany took bronze. 

Vathje now leads the overall standings after two legs of the series, ahead of Hermann and Austria's European Champion Janine Flock, who finished fourth in Calgary.

Following a Christmas break, attention now turns to Europe, with the next stop in the eight-leg World Cup series coming in in Altenberg, Germany, from January 5 to 11.

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