Germany's Tina Hermann claimed the women's skeleton Crystal Globe with victory in Sigulda ©IBSF

Germany's Tina Hermann won the final International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) women's skeleton World Cup race of the season in Sigulda to clinch the Crystal Globe, and her compatriot Christopher Grotheer secured top spot on the overall men's skeleton standings.

Britain's world and European champion Matt Weston earned his fourth consecutive World Cup victory in the Latvian resort, but a third-place finish from Olympic champion Grotheer was enough for him to win the Crystal Globe for the first time.

In the women's race on the Sigulda bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track, Hermann set the quickest time on the first runs with 51.49sec.

Her second run was only the second quickest at 52.16, but enough to triumph in 1min 43.65sec overall.

After a 51.91 first run, Britain's Laura Deas piled the pressure on Hermann with a 51.79 second, but ultimately fell 0.05 short.

Belgium's Kim Meylemans finished third in 1:43.88 after 51.92 and 51.96 efforts.

Olympic bronze medallist Kimberley Bos of The Netherlands was Hermann's closest challenger for the season, but finished fourth in Sigulda in 1:43.98 after 52.04 and 51.94 efforts.

Hermann finished on 1,622 points for the season, with Bos accumulating 1,562.

Canada's Mirela Rahneva finished third for the season on 1,515.

Rahneva ranked second on the first run with 51.66, but slipped to sixth after a 52.37 second run.

In the men's skeleton, Weston's remarkable end to the season continued as he clocked the quickest times on both runs with 50.27 and 50.12 to finish in 1:40.39.

Compatriot Marcus Wyatt ranked second on both with 50.44 and 50.31 to clock 1:40.75 overall.

Olympic champion Grotheer only needed to finish ninth in Sigulda in the event Weston triumphed, and his times of 50.59 and 50.43 helped him to safely finish third in 1:41.02.

That made him the first German men's skeleton Crystal Globe winner since Andy Böhme in 2000.

Grotheer finished on 1,656 points for the season, with Weston on 1,605 and Wyatt on 1,531.

Britain's Matt Weston, centre, won his fourth consecutive World Cup race in Sigulda, but Germany's Christopher Grotheer, right, claimed the Crystal Globe ©IBSF
Britain's Matt Weston, centre, won his fourth consecutive World Cup race in Sigulda, but Germany's Christopher Grotheer, right, claimed the Crystal Globe ©IBSF

No Briton had finished on the overall men's skeleton podium since Kristan Bromley in 2008.

Weston underlined British skeleton's development this season, helped by the coaching of Latvian legend Martins Dukurs as coach.

"I’m almost lost for words when I think back at how sliding was last year compared to this year and the big changes we’ve made," he said.

"It’s given me even more motivation to keep working hard and to keep pushing over the next few years to hopefully go and do what we’ve been doing this year at the Olympics in Milan."

Competition at the IBSF World Cup in Sigulda is due to continue tomorrow with the final women's monobob and penultimate two-man bobsleigh event.