A two-time Olympic women’s bobsled gold medalist, Humphries is making her return to racing since she last competed with Canada at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games. Now representing the United States team, Humphries drove to back-to-back victories in Lake Placid. She kicked off the World Cup season with a win at Mount Van Hoevenberg in last week’s season-opener, and triumphed again Saturday, topping a 13-sled field with push athlete Lauren Gibbs in the final race before the World Cup tour heads to Europe following the holiday break.

The pair put down the fastest run in the first heat, 55.60 seconds, and turned in the next-fastest time in on the second run to finish with a winning total of 1:54.03. German pilot Kim Kalicki and her push athlete Erline Nolte were a close second in 1:54.18 and Canadians Christine De Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski took the bronze in 1:54.25.

Humphries and Gibbs rode a BMW sled to victory on the mile-long track at Mount Van Hoevenberg a week ago and this time around, won the race in a BTC Latvian-built sled. Humphries said she’s pleased getting off to a solid start on home ice as the newest U.S. bobsled pilot.

“Overall, it was a good day,” Humphries said. “We won, but for me, the detailed side of my brain wants to pick apart the runs. There were definitely some challenges; corner 14 second run. I’m really happy with our starts. We’re still knocking off some rust getting to used to being a team, me and Gibbs, and being a part of the U.S. program.

United States driver Brittany Reinbolt, with push athlete Sylvia Hoffmann, slides through curve 14 at Mount Van Hoevenberg during the second run of Saturday’s women’s World Cup bobsled race. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

“So far it’s working out. It’s a team effort 100%,” she continued. “The home track advantage ends now. I’m exciting, it’s the beginning of this next chapter and to be able to do this consistently, to get two wins, it’s not a fluke. It feels great.”

Gibbs, a 35-year-old and veteran push athlete with the U.S., is no stranger to sliding with the best. She’s been on the brakes with Olympic medalists Elana Meyers Taylor and Jamie Greubel Poser, who retired from competition, and is currently unbeaten pushing for Humphries. Gibbs is familiar winning with the best, but also said there is always room for improvement.

“It’s an honor and it always makes me want to work harder and make sure I’m not the weakest link in the story and on the team,” Gibbs said. “It’s a balance between knowing what I’m doing and always striving for more. Winning feels good but it’s what I expect, so it’s not like elation but more like what’s next, keep charging.

Brittany Reinbolt also drove for the U.S. and finished eighth, 1.25 seconds behind her teammate’s winning time. Reinbolt joined push athlete Sylvia Hoffmann to put down runs of 57.21 and 58.01 for a 1.55.28 combined time.

In addition to sleds from the U.S., Germany and Canada, Switzerland, China, Austria and Russia were also represented in the race.

The next IBSF World Cup women’s bobsled race will be held in Winterberg, Germany on January 4, 2020.