Laura Nolte/Deborah Levi of Germany compete during the Bobsleigh 2-woman heat 4 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 21, 2026. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- In a showdown featuring three pairs of Olympic champions, Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi of Germany retained the title in the two-woman bobsled at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games here on Saturday.

Nolte and Levi took control from the second run onward and maintained their dominance through the final heat, securing gold with a combined time of three minutes 48.46 seconds.

"It is incredible. I don't know what to say. We had hard times during the last four years but we fought back, and now we're here winning gold. It's just so crazy that we did it a second time and I don't know what to say. I'm so grateful," Levi said.

"Laura did a great job today. The third run was really nice and also the other ones, and I'm just so proud of her," she added.

Lisa Buckwitz, who won gold at PyeongChang 2018 as a brakewoman alongside Mariama Jamanka and now pilots her own sled with brakewoman Neele Schuten, added a silver for Germany in 3:48.99.

Kaillie Humphries, gold medalist in the event at Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, teamed up with Jasmin Jones to take bronze for the United States in 3:49.21.

China's Huai Mingming and Wang Xuan placed 11th.

The four-man event, the final bobsleigh competition of the Games, is scheduled for Sunday. ■

Huai Mingming/Wang Xuan of China compete during the Bobsleigh 2-woman heat 4 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 21, 2026. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Ying Qing/Wang Yu of China compete during the Bobsleigh 2-woman heat 3 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 21, 2026. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Ying Qing/Wang Yu of China compete during the Bobsleigh 2-woman heat 3 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 21, 2026. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Huai Mingming/Wang Xuan of China compete during the Bobsleigh 2-woman heat 3 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 21, 2026. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)