Germany’s Francesco Friedrich was fastest in both runs to lead Canada’s Justin Kripps at the halfway stage of the two-man bobsled world championships on Saturday. Defending champion Friedrich and his brakeman Thorsten Margis clocked 49.15 seconds in the first heat and then 49.45 for a combined time of 1 minute, 38.60 seconds – 0.52 ahead of Kripps, from Summerland, B.C., and Jesse Lumsden of Burlington, Ont.