Preview women: More medal candidates than ever before

Innsbruck (RWH) It has been many years since there were more than a handful of title aspirants, but there are currently six women with at least one victory in the Viessmann Luge World Cup or the BMW Sprint World Cup to their names who are in with a chance of winning gold at 47th World Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL) in Innsbruck, Austria.

“You have to remember that Innsbruck is a completely different track from any other that we’ve been to this winter,” claims 33-year-old Tatjana Hüfner (Photo left), who won the first of her four titles 10 years ago. “I wouldn’t mind at all if the 2017 race turned out like it did in 2007.” The 2010 Olympic Champion, who also has one silver (2014) and a bronze (2006) Olympic medal to her name, is enjoying a return to form during the current pre-Olympic winter season. Ironically, she claimed the 37th individual World Cup victory of her career on one of her least favorite tracks, Lake Placid, to equal the record of all-time champion Sylke Otto (GER).

Natalie Geisenberger (Photo right) has just one less World Cup victory than Hüfner, but the two top German lugers describe the forthcoming World Championships in almost exactly the same terms: “It all comes down to one pivotal moment – you need to be on form, have a good sled, and make a good start.”

Last year they had to defer to teammate Dajana Eitberger who won the first Viessmann World Cup of the 2015/2016 season in Innsbruck. The Thuringian racer also won the season opener in this pre-Olympic winter, but was forced to miss Sigulda due to illness.

Russian slider Tatyana Ivanova celebrated her first win of the season there, with victory in the BMW Sprint World Cup. The two-time European Champion and World Championship bronze medallist in 2016 endured a torrid start to the season but is now moving in the right direction, taking one second place (Königssee) and a third (Sigulda). By contrast, Alex Gough (CAN), who won in Whistler, has not rediscovered her form after the Christmas break, with teammate Kimberly McRae finishing ahead of her at the last event. Erin Hamlin (USA), who won the Viessmann World Cup and the sprint race in Park City, is also not faring as well on the European tracks as she does back home in North America. The top-placed US female at the 2016 World Championship test event was Summer Britcher in fifth.

And what of Martina Kocher, last year’s surprise World Championship winner? The Swiss luger took gold (sprint) and silver in the Olympic discipline in 2016 following an illness.