Clukey successfully defended her women’s singles crown and slid to identical first and second heat times of 4.75 seconds, and a track record, third heat time of 4.69 on her way to a combined total of 14.19 seconds.  The 21-year-old Clukey, who also won last month’s JetBlue Airways U.S. national start championships held in Lake Placid, N.Y., finished more than two-tenths of a second in front of Austria’s Nina Reithmayer, who emerged as the silver medalist after posting a three-heat time of 14.43.

Hayden, a 2002 Olympian, raced to a bronze medal time of 14.50.  Last season’s silver medalist in Meransen clocked runs of 4.90, 4.84 and 4.76. 

Fellow American Erin Hamlin (Remsen, N.Y.), a 2006 Olympian, finished seventh in 14.82.

Germany’s Denis Bertz and Denis Geppert were 1-2 in the men’s singles event, while Austria’s Tobias Schiegl finished third.  Bertz slid to a three-heat total of 13.69, while Geppert completed his three runs in 13.75.  Schiegl’s bronze medal time stopped the clock in 13.78.

Italy’s Christian Oberstolz and Patric Gruber raced past a nine-sled field en route to the doubles’ crown.  The duo posted a three-run combined time of 13.78, almost two-tenths of a second in front of Austria’s Andreas Linger and Wolfgang Linger.  The reigning Olympic champions slid to the event’s silver medal and a total time of 13.95, while Tobias Schiegl won his second medal of the race when he teamed with Markus Schiegl to win bronze in 13.99.