Calgary. Germany`s luge girls started the season like they ended the last one: World Champion Sylke Otto (1,28,724 minutes) won the Viessmann Worldcup at Calgary before her team-mates, Silke Kraushaar (1:29,075) and Barbara Niedernhuber (1:29,102). In Feb-ruary 2001, the trio had divided up the medals between themselves exactly in the same order.
At the Olympic track, Sylke Otto once again showed that she is in exceptionally good form and lowered her own track record of the day before in the first run to a time of 44.160 sec-onds. Fourth place went to Becky Wilczak (1:29,648 minutes) from the USA, who adjusted her best World Cup results of the past season with fourth places in Salt Lake City and in Nagano. Angelika Neuner (1:29,694) from Austria was placed fifth ahead of Germany`s Anke Wischnewski (1:29,698).

Quotes:

Sylke Otto: (Germany), two-time World Shampion:
"I have already come with great delight here to Canada because I have very beautiful memories of this train in Calgary. My injury did not disturb me, unless slightly when braking at the finish. I hope that I can further improve my form up to the Olympic Games ".

Silke Kraushaar (Germany) Olympic Champion 1998 and World Cup winner 2001:
"Sylke Otto is almost unbeatable in Calgary, in Igls and in Winterberg because she has the right feeling or these tracks. As for myself, I am more than content. I have improved the start record and I was better than at the World Championships in February. My runs were too rough and simply not round ".

Barbara Niedernhuber (Germany) bronze medaillist at the World Championships:
"This was an important step in the right direction. I have improved my sled and have not forgotten how to slide ".

Becky Wilczak (USA):
"I am totally happy. This is taking a lot of pressure off me. During training, I touched a wall. I am glad that this happened during training and not during the race. This is how I would have imagined my season`s opening.”