European Champion Dajana Eitberger takes second World Cup victory

Innsbruck (RWH) European Champion Dajana Eitberger, 24, has started the new winter luge season in the same way she finished the last. Nine months after her first success in the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Sochi, Russia, the Thuringian won the 2015/2016 winter season opener. Eitberger relegated Olympic Champion Natalie Geisenberger (GER) to second place at the first Viessmann Luge World Cup of the season, which was staged on the track used for the 1976 Olympics. Two-time World Champion Geisenberger had won the Innsbruck event for the past two years. Third place went to Canadian Alex Gough.

Dajana Eitberger, who set a new track record of 39.827 seconds on her first run, finished second overall in the Viessmann Luge World Cup last winter, won the season finale of the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Sochi and also took her first international title at the European Championships staged at the same event.

 Summer Britcher from the USA came fifth behind four-time World Champion Tatjana Hüfner (GER). Britcher’s teammate Erin Hamlin, Olympic bronze medallist in 2014 and World Champion in 2009, dropped back from second place at half-time to finish sixth.

 Quotes

 Dajana Eitberger (GER / 2015 European Champion)

“This validates all the work I put in during the summer. I’m delighted to see my name on the list of track record holders, I’ve never managed that anywhere before. The run didn’t even feel that fast.”

 Natalie Geisenberger (GER / 2014 Olympic Champion and two-time World Champion)

 “Starting towards the back of the field on the first run probably didn’t help, but I have to admit that Dajana simply performed better on the day. I’m happy with second place.”

 Alex Gough (CAN / World Championship bronze medallist 2011 and 2013)

 “That was pretty OK for the first race of the season.”