Happy End for Gerald Kammerlander (AUT): Gold Medal on Home Track Umhausen (ck) - The decision could not have been closer. Local hero Gerald Kammerlander took the lead in the first run, was defeated by defending champion Patrick Pigneter (ITA) in the second run and had to take full risk in the last run if he wanted to keep his chances for a possible champion title alive. “At least, at the end I wanted to be able to say to myself that I really gave it all”, said Kammerlander. “But then everything went so well, just as I had dreamed of.” At the beginning of the season it really looked like becoming World Champion would remain a dream. “Early in the season everything went wrong. It was even questionable whether I could stay in the Austrian team selection. Then my brother and I sat down, took everything apart that could be taken apart and started to focus on the championships only. So I also want to thank my brother.” He saw a first success in the world cup race in Gsies: “Suddenly I was third in the first run, on a track I really do not like. So I knew that I can be fast.” The weeks before his home championships spent Gerald Kammerlander, whose father Bruno Kammerlander was one of the most active members in the organising committee, training on the track in Umhausen or in Italy. Apart of that he is pursuing an education as a nutrition and sports trainer. The hours before the final run were a final test for his nerves: “I could not sleep at all. Then I ate a lot around midnight and eventually fell asleep. Today I think it was good that I did not have to go into the last run from the leading position.” The current leader at that time was Robert Batkowski (AUT) who had become faster from run to run and managed to improve his ranking from the fifth place to winning the silver medal. “It was very difficult to find the right set up today, but in the last training run we saw a little bit of light. As soon as I have a good equipment I am not nervous at all, so I was really relaxed today”, said the World Champion of 2003 who with his second medal today is now the second best Austrian athlete in world championships right behind Gerhard Pilz with 5 gold, 3 silver and one bronze, team events not included. Altogether Gerald Kammerlander is the eighth Austrian world champion while eternal rival Italy has only four. Patrick Pigneter (ITA), who could not defend his title took it easy: “I cannot always win. But of course, if you have won gold already, you cannot be happy about a bronze medal.” In the second run he had achieved the fastest time of these championships (with 1:11.99 he was the only athlete who stayed under the 1:12.00 mark), but damage a blade which he had to replace. In the last run he fell back to the third rank. Final Result Men (47): 1. Gerald KAMMERLANDER (AUT), 1:12,46(1), 1:12,48(3), 1:12.67(3), 3:37,61 2. Robert BATKOWSKI (AUT), 1:12,97(5), 1:12,12(2), 1:12,56(2), 3:37,65 3. Patrick PIGNETER (ITA), 1:12,72(3), 1:11,99(1), 1:13,24(6), 3:37,95 4. Thomas KAMMERLANDER (AUT), 1:12,79(4), 1:12,59(4), 1:13,21(5), 3:38,59 5. Rudi RESCH (ITA), 1:13,19(8), 1:13,06(7), 1:12,43(1), 3:38,68 6. Florian BREITENBERGER (ITA), 1:13,04(7), 1:12,67(5), 1:13,14(4), 3:38,85 7. Florian CLARA (ITA), 1:12,97(5), 1:12,84(6), 1:13,29(7), 3:39,10 8. Anton BLASBICHLER (ITA), 1:12,70(2), 1:13,55(8), 1:13,54(9), 3:39,79