Winterberg (pps) Since she failed to qualify for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy (February 10-26), two-time Olympic silver medallist Barbara Niedernhuber, of Germany, will compete at the European Championships at Winterberg, Germany as consolation.

The 2005 overall Viessmann Luge World Cup champion thus prevailed over her competitor Anke Wischnewski. Germany will be represented at the Olympics in Torino by Silke Kraushaar, Sylke Otto and Tatjana Huefner.