German bobsledders close dominant Games with four-man gold, silver

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy -- Germany's Johannes Lochner collected his second bobsled gold of the Milan Cortina Olympics in the four-man event on Sunday, completing a hugely dominant week for the sliding superpower.

Compatriot and double-defending champion Francesco Friedrich took silver but Germany's hopes of a first-ever clean sweep in the event were spoiled when Michael Vogt snatched bronze for Switzerland on the final run.

Lochner has spent much of his career in the shadow of Friedrich and won two Olympic silvers behind him, but he has been the main man this season.

He sustained that form to complete a memorable double, this time helped by teammates Thorsten Margis -- winning his fifth gold -- Jorn Wenzel and Georg Fleischhauer, who was his brakeman in the two-man victory.

"It's unbelievable that my plan worked out so perfectly with my last run," Lochner said. "I still can't believe it, and it will take forever for it to sink in."

"It's simply a dream that's been playing out in my head for two years. That it's now true -- indescribable. This is a moment for eternity," he said. "This is the most perfect ending ever."

Lochner, who started the final day 0.43 seconds ahead of Friedrich, was first out and improved that lead on his third run.

Having sat back and watched his rivals avoid any major mistakes but also fail to apply any real pressure, he duly completed the final run of the Cortina track without drama to win by a huge 0.57 seconds in what he says will be his final race in the sport.

Friedrich was safely clear in second and his four golds and two silvers took him past Andre Lange to make him the most successful pilot in Olympic history.

Adam Ammour, the third German pilot who climbed to third on Saturday after finishing fifth in his opening run, had only a tiny cushion heading into the last run. He paid the price for some early mistakes as Vogt, by four hundredths of a second, took Switzerland's first medal in the event since they also won bronze in 2006.

In these Games, Germany's bobsledders produced a triumphant finale with a third successive sweep of the three team golds, having missed a fourth title in the monobob by a whisker.

--Reuters, special to Field Level Media