With the first of three competition runs, female natural track lugers opened today, Friday, this year’s World Championships in Natural Track luge, which is held in Zelezniki, Slovenia.
Fastest was the Russian Ekaterina Lavrentjeva. The World Champion of 2000 in Olang, Italy, dominated the training run in the morning, winning it ahead of Renate and Christa Gietl, and she was faster then all Italians at noon again. The ranks behind Lavrentjeva went to Sonja Steinacher, Irene Mitterstieler, Christa Gietl and Renate Gietl (all ITA). However, Lavrentjeva was not completely happy with her performance. “I made some mistake in the first part of the track”, said she, “but I think that my start in this Worlds was not so bad.” Second placed Sonja Steinacher had a very good start, but did not risk too much in the middle of the course. “This is a very crucial part of the track, and I wanted pass it without big mistake”, explained the Italian. “29 hunderts of a second is not too much, and tomorrow, my slogan will be: full gas!”
Results first run women’s competition:
1. Ekaterina Lavrentjeva (RUS) 57,14
2. Sonja Steinacher (ITA) 57,43
3. Irene Mitterstieler (ITA) 57,59
4. Christa Gietl (ITA) 57,80
5. Renate Gietl (ITA) 57,86
6. Sandra Mariner (AUT) 57,93
6. Elvira Holzknecht (AUT) 57,93
8. Marlies Wagner (AUT) 58,22
9. Julia Vetlova (RUS) 58,29
10. Michaela Maurer (GER) 58,46
11. Ewelina Zurek (POL) 58,70
12. Barbara Abart (ITA) 58,77
13. Sabine Kogler (AUT) 59,25
14. Ziva Janc (SLO) 59,44
15. Mateja Kralj (SLO) 1:00,14
16. Karolina Waniczek (POL) 1:01,65
17. Oksana Elesina (RUS) 1:02,53
18. Melissa Jones (CAN) 1:03,14
19. Ekaterina Zarutskaja (RUS) 1:03,57
20. Sylvie Plucnarova (CZE) 1:14,65
21. Radost. Vuchaliska (BUL) 1:15,07
22. Melika Hasanovic (BIH) 1:15,96
Result third training run men:
1. Gerhard Pilz (AUT) 55,39
2. Gerald Kallan (AUT) 55,86
3. Anton Blasbichler (ITA) 56,09
4. Roland Kallan (AUT) 56,22
5. Aleksej Lebedev (RUS) 56,23
6. Borut Kralj (SLO) 56,37
7. Daniel Quitta (ITA) 56,42
7. Robert Batkowski (AUT) 56,42
9. Borut Fejfar (SLO) 56,44
10. Florian Breitenberger (ITA) 56,48
10. Ferdinand Hirzegger (AUT) 56,48
22. Corey Pusey (CAN) 58,02
29. John Gibson (CAN) 59,76
32. Julien Schultz (USA) 1:01,17
39. Caleb Underwood (USA) 1:04,25
40. Loren Montcalm (USA) 1:05,20
49. William Ogilvie (GBR) 1:15,79
Tom Power (CAN) did not finish the run after an injury on his hand.
Results training runs double seater:
Andrzej Laszczak/Damian Waniczek (POL) 1:00,61 (1), 1:02,11 (5)
Reinhard Beer/Herbert Kögl (AUT) 1:01,24 (2), 1:01,40 (2)
Pawel Porschnev/Ivan Lazarev (RUS) 1:01,26 (3), 1:02,66 (7)
Denis Alimov/Roman Molvistov (RUS) 1:01,75 (4), 1:01,72 (3)
Harald Kleinhofer/Gerhard Mühlbacher (AUT) 1:01,88 (5), 1:03,20 (8)
Wolfgang Schopf/Andreas Schopf (AUT) 1:02,37 (6), 1:01,38 (1)
Martin Graf/Harald Laimer (ITA) 1:02,54 (7), fall
Guido Hildgartner/Siegfried Truppe (AUT) 1:02,58 (8), 1:01,83 (4)
Andrzej Tyrna/Tomasz Kowalczyk (POL) 1:03,12 (9), 1:05,09 (11)
Günther Innerbichler/Alex Innerbichler (ITA) 1:03,51(10),1:02,61(6)
Armin Mair/Johannes Hofer (ITA) 3:03,51(17),1,03,77(9)
Simone Deme/Michel Squinabil (ITA) 1:03,63 (11),1:04,07 (10)
Next days program
Saturday:
10.00 first run double seaters
followed by second run women
11.30 second run double seaters
followed by third run women
13 firs run men
Sunday
10.00 second run men
12.30 third run men
14.30 Price giving ceremony
Foto: Andreas Schaad
FIL Media Service
Egon Theiner
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