Berlin (pps) Nagano constitutes some kind of turning point in the career of Sylke Otto. At the 1998 Olympic Games the then 28-year-old was condemned to follow the competitions as a spectator from the stands when Silke Kraushaar and Barbara Niedernhuber captured the gold and silver medal, kept apart by only two thousandths of a second. But Otto, who had won a European silver medal in 1992 and the overall ranking in the 1995 World Cup, did not give up. She terminated her occupation as pharmaceutical-technical assistant, committed herself to the German Federal Armed Forces and started a radical diet.

Six years later and having lost ten kilograms, Sylke Otto is the top favourite at the World Championships in Nagano. In these past six years the now 34-year-old has won almost all titles to be won in luge, grabbed the World championship title three times (2000, 2001 and 2003), won the 2002 Europeans and even the Olympic gold medal in 2002. And rather unintentionally she also won the overall ranking of the Viessmann World Cup three times and with now four victories (1995, 2000, 2003 and 2004) she is the record winner in the women’s event.

“To be honest, I wanted to call it quits after the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. But I’m really motivated and this is the reason why I want to carry on”, explained Sylke Otto. Thus she will continue competing until the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. Originally, Sylke Otto was convinced that the 2002/2003 season could not be topped – but five victories in the Viessmann World Cup, the win of the Krombacher Challenge Cup and a bronze medal at the European Championships in the current season do not seem to be so bad either.

“My aim in Nagano is a medal”, says Sylke Otto. In case she should take the World Championship title she would be the most successful World Championship participant of all times with then four gold and one bronze medal . So far, this “ranking” is headed by Margit Schumann (4 gold – 0 silver – 0 bronze) ahead of Susi Erdmann (3-2-0). Prior to the beginning of the Worlds, Sylke Otto is ranked third (3-0-1).