It was in the season 2001/02 when it happened for the last time that one woman could win four races in a row. It was Sonja Steinacher from Italy, retired by now, whose winning streak had been going on until a young rookie stopped her in Hüttau in February 2002. It was Renate Gietl (ITA) who celebrated her first out of two before this season World Cup wins in Hüttau. Now it is Renate Gietl who keeps her own winning streak running. “I have improved mentally since the days of my first victory. I always managed the one or the other good run, but now I have the continuity for two good runs and I am mentally strong enough to be able to attack in a second run.” And this was exactly what she needed to do to win today´s race as after the first run Russia´s Ekatharina Lavrentjeva was in the lead. “I had lost four tenths of a second to the Russian in the first curve, so I knew it was my only chance to attack in this very curve,” said Renate Gietl. She did well in her second run, whereas Lavrentjeva crashed and had to settle for the second place. Third became Barbara Abart (ITA), who found back to old virtues. She had been runner up in the World Junior Championships last year and now found back her way on the podium. “I have been on the brakes too much lately. This is a track which requires an offensive style and today I finally managed to race that way”, she explained.

In the double seater´s event Beer/Kögl´s win should have been an early decision in the RED BULL World Cup already, but the Austrians do not dare to think that far ahead: “There are two more races and a lot can happen, but no doubt, it has been a very successful weekend for us”, said Reinhard Beer. They are leaving Oberperfuss with a comfortable 79 points margin in the overall ranking whereas behind them three doubles are struggling within only 11 points. The Russian double as well as the Polish are racing in top shape and will give the Austrian cousins Wolfgang and Andreas Schopf a hard time. The reigning World Champions missed the podium for the first time in this season and had to settle for the fourth place.

The RED BULL World Cup will be continued next weekend in Latzfons, Italy.