Team Italy I with Gietl, Blasbichler and Pigneter/Clara defends title Umhausen (ck) - 15 years lay between Patrick Pigneter and Anton Blasbichler and between the two they share 16 medals in world championships, nine of them in gold. In the first decision in the Umhausen World Championships Pigneter and Blasbichler started in the same team and defended their title of Passeier 2009. Blasbichler, who has become team Champion for the thrird time now (2001, 2009 and 2011) and has won two single seater titles already (2001, 2005) had to make the Italian team selection first: “I changed the set up of my sled between the training runs and this was definitely worthwhile. I am very satisfied with my performance. I do not really like the track here, I have always had problems in the middle part and I have never been on the podium here,” said the 38-year-old. 15 years younger fellow Italian Pigneter decided to start in the doubles’ event only, even though according to rules he could have raced in the doubles and singles event. “It is called team event and then it should be a complete team”, he said. “It is enough that I have to focus on three perfect runs, I do not need an additional run.” He won his fourth world championship gold medal, the second in a team event (2009 and 2011, single and doubleseater in 2009). Altogether his older colleague’s balance is still slightly higher with a total of nine medals versus Pigneter’s seven medals. But the basis for today’s victory was laid by Renate Gietl. With her fastest run time she even upset her eternal Russian rival Ekatharina Lavrentjeva by a three tenth margin. The second place went to Austria I. After the second run they had been tied on the second place with the team of Austria II. “The team event is a matter of nerves. You have to blend out all calculations with the points, just focus on your run”, said Gerhard Mühlbacher. Schatz/Mühlbacher had troubles finding the perfect set up for their sled and managed to solve the problems just in time for the championships. A huge burden was taken off local hero Gerald Kammerlander: “A medal on the opening day really takes away most of the pressure. Now I can go into the next runs a little bit more relaxed.” He and his brother Thomas had achieved the fastest times in the men’s run. Melanie Batkowski completed the Austrian team and won her fourth team medal, two of them in gold (2005 and 2007). The third place claimed team Russia I with Ekatharina Lavrentjeva, Pawel Porschnev/Ivan Lazarev and rookie Juri Talikh. “Today the doubles did the job. My own run was not perfect and Juri gave his debut in the team, it was really exciting and the medal is a great success for us”, said Lavrentjeva. The German team finished sixth and once again showed that they have closed the gap between them and the top teams since five-time world champion Gerhard Pilz and Herbert Kögl started coaching them. Georg Maurer finished fourth in the men’s run. Final Results Team Event: 1. Italy I 79 points Anton BLASBICHLER (3), Renate GIETL (1), Patrick PIGNETER/Florian CLARA (2) 2. Austria I 72 points Gerald KAMMERLANDER (2), Melanie BATKOWSKI (3), Christian SCHATZ/Gerhard MÜHLBACHER (3) 3. Russia I 71 points Juri TALIKH (7), Ekatharina LAVRENTJEVA (2), Pawel PORSCHNEV/Ivan LAZAREV (1) 4. Austria II 68 points Thomas KAMMERLANDER (1), Marlies WAGNER (5), Christian SCHOPF/Andreas SCHOPF (5) 5. Italy II 61 points Melanie SCHWARZ (4), Hannes CLARA (5), Florian BREITENBERGER/David MAIR (4) 6. Germany 53 points Michaela MAURER (6), Georg MAURER (4), Björn KIERSPEL/Christian WICHAN (7)