Germany’s Francesco Friedrich has claimed his first-ever IBSF World Cup title in the two-man bobsleigh ©IBSF

Germany’s Francesco Friedrich claimed his first-ever International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup title in the two-man bobsleigh after winning the final race of the season at the Alpensia Sliding Centre in Pyeongchang today.

Competing alongside brakeman Thorsten Margis, the 26-year-old clocked an overall time of 1 min 40.82sec to win by a margin of 0.30sec.

Latvia’s Oskars Kibermanis and brakeman Matiss Miknis finished second behind the victorious pairing, while Germany’s Johannes Lochner and brakeman Joshua Bluhm were 0.34 back in third.

Four-time world champion Friedrich ended the season on 1,545 points, having racked up five gold and two silvers medals over the course of the campaign.

The United States’ Steven Holcomb, who along with brakeman Carlo Valdes finished 14th today, finished second in the overall standings with 1,331.

South Korean home favourite Won Yunjong, the overall winner of the 2016 World Cup and the fifth-place finisher today along with brakeman Seo Youngwoo, took third with 1,312.

Friedrich and Margis also secured the first start and track records for the venue due to be used at next year's Winter Olympic Games, registering respective times of 4.86 and 50.24.

The United States' Jamie Greubel Poser and brakewoman Aja Evans clinched the overall women's bobsleigh World Cup ©Getty Images
The United States' Jamie Greubel Poser and brakewoman Aja Evans clinched the overall women's bobsleigh World Cup ©Getty Images

Also sealing overall World Cup success today was the United States’ Jamie Greubel Poser, who edged Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries of Canada in the final women's bobsleigh standings with victory in the final race.

Greubel Poser and brakewoman Aja Evans triumphed in a time of 1:43.65 to take the maximum 225 points on offer and snatch top spot from Humphries and brakewoman Melissa Lotholz, the fifth-place finishers today.

Humphries and Lotholz had led the standings for the previous seven races and despite taking a 27-point advantage to Pyeongchang, they ended up 14 points shy of Greubel Poser and Evans’s total of 1,644.  

American Elana Meyers Taylor and brakewoman Lolo Jones finished 0.15 behind Greubel Poser and Evans today in the runners-up spot, sealing third place in the overall standings with 1,530 points.  

Third place on the day went to Canada’s Alysia Rissling and brakewoman Cynthia Appiah, who secured their first-ever World Cup podium finish in 1:44.06.

The first start and track records at the venue went to Meyers Taylor and Jones, clocking respective times of 5.25 and 51.71.

Action in Pyeongchang is due to conclude tomorrow with the four-man bobsleigh event.