By Nick Butler

Defending champion Francesco Friedrich is on course for World Championship gold with partner Thorsten Margis at the halfway point in Winterburg ©FIBTDefending champion Francesco Friedrich and brakeman Thorsten Margis lead at the halfway point of the two-man bobsleigh World Championship event in Winterburg, setting a combined time of 1min 52.55sec on home ice.


The duo picked up speed in the second half of each of their runs to take a 0.46 second lead into the final two efforts, with their closest challengers being Latvian world cup winners Oskars Melbardis and Daumants Dreiskens.

"Our runs went well," said Friedrich, winner of a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships as part of the German mixed team.

"We will give it everything again on Sunday, we can't afford to play it safe."

Another Latvian pairing, Ugis Zalims and Intars Dambis lie third, only 0.02 seconds behind, with South Koreans Yunjong Won and Youngwoo Seo a surprising fourth.

Cherrelle Garrett and Elana Meyers Taylor (centre) lead halfway through the women's event ©FIBTCherrelle Garrett and Elana Meyers Taylor (centre) lead halfway through the women's event ©FIBT



In the women's two-person event meanwhile, which began yesterday, United States' Elana Meyers Taylor and Cherelle Garrett lead at the halfway stage, putting themselves on course to become the first female American bobsleigh world champions.

The overall World Cup champion were in imperious form, leading home hopes Anja Schneiderheinze and Annika Drazek by 0.39 seconds.

Germany's 2011 world champion Cathleen Martini lies third, along with Stephanie Schneider, with the competition set to conclude tomorrow.

The final two rounds of the men's event are due to take place on Sunday (March 1), along with the mixed team competition, with skeleton and four-man competitions set for next week.

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