Birthday girl Dajana Eitberger wins in Sigulda

Sigulda (FIL/07 Jan 2023) At minus 12 degrees outside temperature and perfect ice conditions the ladies started into the first World Cup of the new year. Birthday girl Dajana Eitberger made herself her best present today on the almost 1000m long track. After a fall in training, the 32-year-old German showed strong nerves and took her second World Cup victory of the season after Park City here in Sigulda.

Already in the first run she magically set a new track record with 41.888 seconds on the ice and was not to be beaten with the second best time in the second run. With an overall time of 1:22.999 she relegated Latvia's Elina Ieva Vitola (+0.094 sec.) and teammate Julia Taubitz (+0.144 sec.) to places and claimed the ninth World Cup victory of her career. Olympic silver medalist Anna Berreiter (+0.154 sec.) rounded off the excellent result of the German women in fourth place.

In the first heat, first Elina Ieva Vitola (LAT) had set a new track record on her home track, the first time ever for a Latvian athlete at Luge Track Sigulda. The joy didn't last long, but with second, fifth and seventh place finishes, she and teammates Sigita Berzina and Kendija Aparjode proved they can successfully follow in Eliza Tiruma's footsteps. The two-time Olympic medalist in the team relay for Latvia had ended her career after the Beijing Olympics.

It was a day to forget for Madeleine Egle (AUT), who has already won three World Cups this season. Last year's winner started the race weakened by flu and ended up in last place after a huge mistake in the first run and a crash in the second run.

Quotes:

Dajana Eitberger: “After the crash yesterday, I did some dry training before the start. I guess that paid off. The victory today is really a little birthday magic, and I fulfilled a birthday wish for myself with it.”

Elina Ieva Vitola: “I am so happy. The material is right, I have speed, and it's just going perfectly here on my home track. I was very tense and nervous and because of that I must have lost a tenth in the ice track. I want to get rid of this nervousness next week, because I know now that I can win here.”

Julia Taubitz: “To be honest, I didn't think it would be enough for the podium, but of course I am very happy about my third place. I was able to defend my World Cup lead and extend it against Madeleine. I'm really sorry that she had such a black day today, but next week she will definitely be back in front.”

The results of the 4th Women's World Cup of the 2022/23 season are available at the following link:

https://www.fil-luge.org/de/ergebnisse/eberspaecher-weltcup-22