Winterberg (RWH) Natalie Geisenberger has just celebrated a special victory: the German Olympic Champion, World Champion and defending titleholder won her seventh luge race of the season in Winterberg and at the same time the 30th Viessmann World Cup victory of her career. This takes Natalie Geisenberger to fourth In the list of all-time greats behind Germany’s Sylke Otto (37 victories) and Silke Kraushaar-Pielach (36 victories), who have long since retired, and active German luger Tatjana Hüfner (33), who took gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics and has won the World Championships four times. Natalie Geisenberger, who has only been beaten once on the international circuit this post-Olympic winter, when Canada‘s Alex Gough and Erin Hamlin of the USA came in ahead of her in the Sprint World Cup, relegated teammate Dajana Eitberger to second. Third place also went to Germany in the person of Anke Wischnewski. 2014 Olympic silver medallist Tatjana Hüfner had to retire after a crash in the first run, as did Russia’s former European Champion Tatiana Ivanova. In the overall Viessmann World Cup rankings, Natalie Geisenberger has a very comfortable lead on the competition, with 770 points to Dajana Eitbergers 526. Despite her crash, Tatjana Hüfner is third with 491 points followed by Anke Wischnewski (475), while Olympic bronze medallist Erin Hamlin is 5th after a crash in the second run brought her down to 22nd in the Winterberg race. The seventh round in the Viessmann World Cup will be held next weekend (31 January to 1 February 2015) in Lillehammer, Norway and can be seen as the final rehearsal for the International Luge Federation’s 45th World Championships two weeks later in the Latvian town of Sigulda (14–15 February 2015). Quotes Natalie Geisenberger (GER / 2014 Olympic Champion, 2010 Olympic bronze medallist and 2013 World Champion) “I’m not getting bored at winning. I just try to focus on each race and to give my best each time.” Dajana Eitberger (GER / 2014 European Championship bronze medallist and 2009 Junior World Champion) “That was a fine race. I’m happy and satisfied. I only made a couple of minor errors.” Anke Wischnewski (GER / Sixth at the 2014 Olympics, second in the 2007 World Championships) “It’s nice to be on the podium again at last after those fourths and fifths. And then the ticket to the World Championships. Everything’s coming together.”