Lanthaler celebrates her first Overall World Cup victory

Deutschnofen (PMA) - Ten years in a row Russian Ekaterina Lavrentyeva won the Women's Overall World Cup at luge on natural track. This year Italian Evelin Lanthaler became her successor. She is the fourth Italian woman who has won the crystal globe after Doris Haselrieder, Sonja Steinacher and Renate Gietl. It is the first title for Lanthaler, a special one. Next week the European Championships are held at Passeier, her home region. She is from the Italian Valley and now the big favourite. Her teammates Greta Pinggera and Sara Bachmann complete an Italian one-two-three. Fourth place went to Lavrentyeva, Austrian Tina Unterberger finished fifth.

RESULTS WOMEN:
1. Evelin LANTHALER (ITA) 0:55.72
2. Greta PINGGERA (ITA) 0:56.06
3. Sara BACHMANN (ITA) 0:56.83
4. Ekaterina LAVRENTYEVA (RUS) 0:56.97
5. Tina UNTERBERGER (AUT) 0:58.90
6. Ludmila ASTRAMOVICH (RUS) 0:59.34

OVERALL WORLD CUP (after 5 of 6 events)
1. LANTHALER 470, 2. UNTERBERGER 365, 3. LAVRENTYEVA 360