Geisenberger secures 36th individual win at World Championship dress rehearsal

Sigulda (RWH) Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger celebrated the 36th individual win of her career at the dress rehearsal for the World Championships. The Olympic Champion and three-time World Champion benefited from a mistake by Russia’s Tatyana Ivanova to take her third win of the pre-Olympic winter season at the Viessmann World Cup in Sigulda, Latvia. Ivanova, who was leading at the halfway point, dropped back to third place behind Tatjana Hüfner (GER) .

Ivanova set a new track record on her first run and was poised to become the sixth name on the list of Viessmann World Cup winners in the 2016/2017 season before the tour moves on to the World Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL) in Innsbruck (27-29 January 2017). The two-time European Champion improved her own track record (41.794s) to 41.583 seconds on the first run,

but a mistake on her second run means that the number of winners in the pre-Olympic winter remains at five. The list of Viessmann World Cup winners to date comprises Hüfner, Geisenberger, Dajana Eitberger (GER), who missed the Sigulda event through illness, Erin Hamlin (USA), who took two wins in Park City, and Alex Gough.

Geisenberger’s win means that she retains her overall lead in the Viessmann World Cup on 612 points. Her teammate Tatjana Hüfner currently lies second (585). Former World Champion Erin Hamlin from the USA moves up to third place.

Quotes

Natalie Geisenberger (GER / 2014 Olympic Champion, three-time World Champion and three-time European Champion):

“I certainly hadn’t banked on Tatyana Ivanova making a mistake. She would definitely have won here without the error, so this is a bit of a surprise World Cup victory for me.  There were only two German girls on the starting line, and we finished first and second so we have a 100% success rate.”

Tatjana Hüfner (GER / Olympic Champion 2010, Olympic silver medallist 2014, Olympic bronze medallist 2006, and four-time World Champion):

“I moved up one place in the second race, but that was obviously due to an error by Tatyana Ivanova. She was massively strong here and would have taken the win. The overall World Cup is likely to be decided at the very last race.”

Tatyana Ivanova (RUS / European Champion 2010 and 2012, World Championship silver medallist 2012 and 2015, World Championship bronze medallist 2016):

“Of course I’m annoyed to have made a mistake, but at least I set a new track record on my first run. And it was good to do it with my family watching here at the track.

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