Double Olympic champion Humphries, who won her first two titles in Canadian colours, used a piece of history to make history as she chose the runners once employed by US bobsleigh legend Steven Holcomb, who died almost four years ago.

"A part of this was for him," Humphries said after she and Jones had successfully converted their overnight lead into victory on the final two runs, albeit that third place on the opener reduced the 0.34sec margin they had carried over from the first two runs on a track closed to spectators because of coronavirus regulations.

Home athlete Kim Kalicki, partnered by Ann-Christin Strack, took silver for the second successive year, putting the pressure on the US pair by winning the opening run of the day in 57.40sec, ahead of eventual fourth-placers, fellow Germans Stephanie Scheider and Leonie Fiebig, who clocked 57.44, and the eventual winners, who were third on 57.45.

Bronze in the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s flagship event went to another German pairing, world junior champion Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi, whose total of 3min 49.27sec left them 1.01 adrift of Humphries and Jones, with Kalicki and Strack finishing 0.35 behind.

Jones, who had been concentrating on her hurdles until the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, also made history in becoming only the tenth US competitor to take part in both the summer and winter Olympics.

"I’m the first hurdler to win back-to-back golds in indoor, so I know the pressure that Kaillie was under," Jones said.

"I credit Kaillie for being the vet she is, holding it together, staying composed, and executing.

"She just really killed it."

Jones, 38, added: "I didn’t think I would be emotional.

"I don’t know if the snow was hitting me at the braking stretch or if I was crying, but I think I was crying."

Humphries, 35, who won last year with brakewoman Lauren Gibbs, commented: "We’re not the youngest spring chickens out there right now, but Lolo and I have faith in each other.

"We believed in each other."

Earlier in the day, Germany’s defending champion Francesco Friedrich moved to within touching distance of his seventh two-man bobsleigh world title as he established a big lead of 0.88 over the field at the halfway point.

In company with Alexander Schueller, the reigning World Cup champion and double Olympic gold medallist produced the fastest times in the two opening runs, with his combined total of 1:50.24 leaving him comfortably ahead of compatriot Johannes Lochner going into tomorrow afternoon’s two final rounds.

The World Cup runner-up, partnered with Eric Franke, totalled 1:51.12, with Switzerland’s Michael Vogt and Michel Sandro, this year’s world junior silver medallists, set in bronze medal position overnight, 0.93 off the leaders.

Also within reach of the medal places are Germany’s junior world champions Hans-Peter Hannighofer and Christian Roeder in fourth place at 1.03, ahead of Switzerland's Simon Friedli and Andreas Haas at 1.15.