Germany's Julia Taubitz wins World Cup women's luge, American sliders take next 3 spots

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LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — Germany’s Julia Taubitz had the fastest time in the second heat and that was enough to give her a World Cup women’s luge win on Friday night, with American sliders grabbing the next three places on home ice.

Taubitz finished her two runs in 1 minute, 28.824 seconds — less than one-quarter of a second faster than the three U.S. contenders. Ashley Farquharson was second, Summer Britcher was third and Emily Fischnaller was fourth for the Americans.

Russia had a slider in a World Cup race for the first time in nearly four years. Daria Olesik, competing as a neutral slider, was 21st in her lone run; only the top 20 made it to the second heat.

Olesik is presumably the only female luge athlete from Russia with a chance to reach the Milan Cortina Games in February.

Weather forced the schedule to be changed Friday, with both the men’s and women’s doubles events postponed to Saturday. That means five World Cup races will be held on one day — the two doubles races, men’s singles, mixed doubles and mixed singles.

At Sigulda, Latvia, Belgium’s Kim Meylemans won a World Cup women’s skeleton race for the second consecutive day — rallying to beat Anna Fernstaedt of Czechia on Friday.

Meylemans won in 1:44.16, 0.08 seconds ahead of Fernstaedt and 0.14 seconds ahead of Britain’s Amelia Coltman. Kelly Curtis was 22nd for the U.S.

In the men’s skeleton race, Britain went 1-2 with Matt Weston cruising to a win over countryman Marcus Wyatt. Felix Keisinger was third, nearly a second back of Weston’s winning time. Austin Florian tied for 14th for the U.S.

Luge: World Cup racing at Lake Placid on Saturday.

Skeleton: Men's skeleton at Sigulda on Saturday.

Bobsled: Women's monobob, two-man races at Sigulda on Saturday.