Taylor Lawrence wins World Cup silver as Corie Mapp edges closer to retaining crown

Royal Marine Commando Taylor Lawrence has won silver at the IBSF Bobsleigh World Cup in Igls, Austria, as part of Great Britain's GB1 four-man bobsleigh team.

The team, which included Lawrence, pilot Brad Hall, Leon Greenwood and Adam Gulliver, completed two heats to finish with a combined time of 1:40.73, splitting the two German bobsleighs of Francesco Friedrich and Johannes Lochner.

It was the first time the quartet have competed together, with Greenwood stepping in for an injured Greg Cackett.

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This is the team's third successive medal on the World Cup circuit, adding to a gold won in Winterberg and a bronze in St Moritz.

This result means that Team Hall remains second with 819 points in the overall world ranking at the halfway mark of the eight-race season.

They sit 23 points ahead of Johannes Lochner, with world and Olympic champion Francesco Friedrich leading the way with 885 points.

Speaking to GB Bobsleigh, Brad Hall said: "We're really pleased with silver here today, to be fair.

"We had to make changes to the crew with Greg being injured so to pull out two really good starts and two really solid drives when this team have never raced together is a big plus."

Great Britain's GB2 bobsleigh team, which included Royal Marine Adam Baird, Parachute Regiment's Olly Butterworth and the Royal Air Forces Alex Cartagena, were 12th after the first heat but dropped to 18th after the second run.

Elsewhere, former soldier Corie Mapp is on track to retain his Para Bobsleigh World Cup crown after winning gold and bronze over the weekend in Lillehammer, Norway.

Mapp finished first on Saturday and third on Sunday in races five and six of the eight-event World Cup season.

He has so far collected a total of three golds, a silver and two bronze medals since 10 January, taking his individual World Cup medal tally to 50 medals since beginning his bobsleigh career a decade ago.

Mapp heads to Sigulda in Latvia for events on 31 January and 1 February.

Speaking to GB Bobsleigh, he said: "It's been a wonderful season so far.

"I'm really enjoying my sliding, I've been very consistent and I'm really happy with how I've performed in every race.

"I wanted to stay in the top three in each of the last two races here in Norway this weekend and I did that."