Melbārdis and brakeman Daumants Dreiškens clocked a combined time of 2 minutes, 12.23 seconds to finish ahead of joint runners-up - compatriots Uģis Žaļims and Intars Dambis, and Switzerland's Olympic silver medallists Beat Hefti and Alex Baumann - who finished in 2:12.40.

The victory moves Melbārdis, a Sochi 2014 Olympic silver medallist in the four-man discipline, onto 1,054 points, just two points ahead of Hefti and 75 clear of Germany's Francesco Friedrich in third.

With just three events remaining, the battle for supremacy looks set to go down to the wire.

Germany's Anja Schneiderheinze (third from left) remains second in the overall World Cup standings despite her victory ©FIBT 2015



Meanwhile in the women's race, Germany's Anja Schneiderheinze and her brakewoman Annika Drazek registered a combined time of 2:15.60 to narrowly fend off the challenge of compatriots Cathleen Martini and Janine Tischer by 0.31 and the United States' Jamie Greubel Poser and Cherrelle Garrett by 0.57.

Despite her third World Cup victory as a pilot, Schneiderheinze still trails the US' Elana Meyers Taylor, fourth in St Moritz, by 48 points in the overall standings on 995.

Belgium's Elfje Willemsen, fifth in St Moritz, is in third place with 956 after five of eight events.

The next event is scheduled to take place in La Plagne, France on January 30 and 31.

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