Julia Taubitz crowned new World Champion

Koenigssee (FIL): Julia Taubitz is the new women's World Champion. At the FIL World Championships in Koenigssee, the 24-year-old luger from Germany set the best time twice. Yet she was not sure during the run if it would be enough for her first World Championship title. "It's such a long track, so much can happen," said last season's overall World Cup winner after the award ceremony, "when I saw the 1, of course I was very happy."

Taubitz was joined on the podium by two teammates, Natalie Geisenberger and Dajana Eitberger. The fourth-place finisher, Anna Berreiter, is also from the German team. Four German racers in the first four places, that will go down in history. Taubitz was pleased, "it is an optimal team performance from all of us. We can all be overjoyed with that."

Geisenberger also highlighted this special team performance, "What makes the situation so special is that there are four of us in front, that Julia was the strongest today. She deserved to become World Champion."

Geisenberger and Eitberger celebrated their medals just as euphorically as winner Taubitz. Both had become mothers last year. "I declared today the new international Mother's Day for me and Natalie," said Eitberger, "although the result for Julia is groundbreaking, that the two of us can show what is possible with silver and bronze is sensational."

The best non-German starter was Tatjana Ivanova. The 29-year-old from the Russian Luge Federation finished fifth. The fact that she could not intervene in the fight for the medals was due to neck pain. "This should not be an excuse now," she said, "but unfortunately it never worked out with a good run to the races."

In the U23 World Championship, which was held at the same time, Anna Berreiter secured the title for the second time. Austrian Lisa Schulte finished second ahead of Ashley Faraquharson (USA).   

To the World Championship results in detail: https://www.fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/fil-world-championships-7