Germany's Johannes Lochner starts fast in Olympic 2-man bobsled race. Del Duca in medal hunt for US

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The two-man bobsled competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics is four runs over two days, the same format the event has used for nearly a century.

Germany's Johannes Lochner might have ended this year's event in exactly 54.68 seconds.

That was Lochner's time in the first run Monday, giving him a lead that only got bigger — much bigger — as the day went along. Lochner and brakeman Georg Fleischhauer finished their two runs in 1 minute, 49.90 seconds, and nothing short of a disaster on their end should keep them from winning gold in the final two runs on Tuesday night.

“Such a big lead,” Flesichhauer said. “We didn't really expect that.”

Their margin at the midway point is 0.80 seconds. Here's some historical perspective of how absolutely one-sided that is: If you add up the halftime leads in the last nine Olympic two-man races, combined, it comes out to 0.58 seconds. And the average halftime lead since 1964 — just 0.25 seconds.

This is a bobsled blowout.

“He might be perfect,” U.S. pilot and medal contender Frank Del Duca said.

It's Germany-Germany-Germany in the top three spots, though Del Duca is right there, just one-tenth of a second from the bronze medal position.

Reigning world and Olympic two-man champion Francesco Friedrich, who has been looking up at Lochner all season in the World Cup rankings, finished two runs in 1:50.70 seconds. He's the only one within a second of Lochner; Germany's Adam Ammour is third in 1:51.14, with Del Duca and Josh Williamson fourth in 1:51.24.

Friedrich is at the Milan Cortina Games trying to become the first five-time gold medalist in Olympic bobsled history, after sweeping the two- and four-man races at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and the 2022 Beijing Games.

“We have to give all what we can do," said Friedrich, widely considered the best bobsledder ever. "We want to make the best push times, the best drives tomorrow. ... The race is over when four runs are in the finish.”

Technically, that's true.

In reality, though, it might be over. The race might really be for third between Ammour and Del Duca.

“Frankie Del Duca is right behind us," Ammour said. "So, yeah, there’s no room for error tomorrow.”

Del Duca is bidding to be the first U.S. medalist in two-man since Steven Holcomb and Steven Langton grabbed silver at the 2014 Sochi Games.

“I left quite a bit of time out there," Del Duca said. "I mean, as drivers, we always do. I don’t know if someone can really walk away and say it was a perfect run. I haven’t seen Lochner’s runs. ... But for us to be this close, it's really just a testament to our whole system, our people behind us, how hard everybody’s been working.”

Del Duca, one of the two U.S. flagbearers entering the Olympics, is driving the only two-man sled the Americans have in the competition, after officials would not let pilot Kris Horn compete because he finished four — one shy of the minimum — out of seven World Cup races this winter.

Horn will race in the four-man event later this week.

Lochner is in what he says is his final season and won the World Cup two- and four-man overall titles this winter. He won medals in all 14 World Cup races — nine gold and five silver, never finishing worse than second. And in two-man, he was especially dominant with six wins in seven races.

He will not reconsider retirement, he said.

“I have a wife and child waiting for me at home,” Lochner said.

A trip to the top of the Olympic medal podium seems to be waiting for him as well.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

United States' Frankie del Duca, front, and Joshua Williamson arrive at the finish during a two man bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Germany's Francesco Friedrich, left, slides down the track during a two man bobsled training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Germany's Johannes Lochner, front, and Georg Fleischhauer, rear, arrive at the finish during a two man bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

United States' Frankie del Duca, right, and Joshua Williamson start for a two man bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Germany's Adam Ammour, right, and Alexander Schaller start for a two man bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Germany's Francesco Friedrich, right, and Alexander Schuller start for a two man bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

United States' Frankie del Duca, right, and Joshua Williamson start for a two man bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Germany's Johannes Lochner, right, and Georg Fleischhauer start for a two man bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Israeli producer Dana Eden, best known for co-creating the Emmy-winning espionage thriller “Tehran,” has died suddenly in Greece, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Monday.

Eden, 52, was found dead in a hotel in the Greek capital, Athens, a Greek police official said, adding that initial indications suggested she had taken her own life and there was no suspicion of foul play. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as Greek police do not comment publicly in such cases.

KAN said Eden was in Greece for the filming of the hit series’ fourth season.

“Dana was among the leading figures in Israel’s television industry and played a central role in the creation and leadership of some of the most prominent and influential productions within the corporation,” KAN said in a statement. It did not give a cause of death.

“Her professional work, uncompromising dedication, and love for creation left a deep mark on the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. KAN shares in the deep sorrow of her family, friends and colleagues,” the broadcaster said.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Eden’s production company, Donna and Shula productions, sought to dispel rumors that the producer had been killed.

“The production company wishes to clarify that the rumors of a criminal or nationally motivated death are false and unfounded,” it said.

“This is a moment of great pain for the family, friends and colleagues. We ask that Dana’s dignity and the privacy of her loved ones be respected,” the production company said.

Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, in a social media post on X, said it was “with great sadness” that he had received the news of Eden’s death, describing her as “one of the most prominent and influential producers in the Israeli television industry.”

“Dana left a deep mark on Israeli creation and brought our story to international stages with pride, talent and courage,” Zohar said.

“Tehran,” which premiered in Israel and on Apple TV in 2020, tells the story of Tamar Rabinyan, a young Mossad operative tasked with hacking into and disabling the Iranian nuclear reactor so the Israeli military can carry out an airstrike. The show was named best drama series at the 49th International Emmy Awards in November 2021.

Eden started working in TV production in Israel in the 1990s, working on shows including comedy “Yom Haem” and crime drama “Magpie,” before finding international success with “Tehran.”

In 2018, her show “Saving the Wildlife” won Best TV Magazine for Children and Youth at the Awards of the Israeli Television Academy.

Kantouris contributed from Thessaloniki. Matt Kemp in London contributed.

FILE - Dana Eden attends the 49th International Emmy Awards at Casa Cipriani on Nov. 22, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)

FILE - Dana Eden attends the 49th International Emmy Awards at Casa Cipriani on Nov. 22, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)