Whistler (pps) Natalie Geisenberger of Germany lived up to her pre-race favorite tag: winning the World Championship gold medal right ahead of her 25th birthday on February 5, she gave herself the best birthday present. After three silver medals (2008, 2009 and 2011) as well as bronze in 2012 the two-time European Champion claimed her first World Championship title at the 44th FIL Luge Worlds in Whistler (Canada). Setting a new start and track record (3.348 and 37.236 seconds) already in her first run was the basis for Geisenberger’s success. Her winning margin after two runs amounted to 0.106 seconds.
In front of a home crowd Alex Gough of Canada, who won the bronze medal at the 2011 Worlds in Cesana, had to bow to the dominance of Germany’s women lugers. Behind Olympic and four-time World Champion Tatjana Huefner (Germany) on second place, Gough earned the bronze medal. That way, 25-year old Gough was able to overcome her disappointment at the Olympic Games three years ago when she posted an 18th-place finish.
Gough’s bronze medal is the fourth World Championship medal for the Canadian Luge Association (CLA). In 1983 it was Miroslav Zajonc, born in Czechoslovakia, who claimed a gold medal for Canada at the 1983 Worlds in Lake Placid (USA). At the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary Zajonc, who is now part of the U.S. staff of luge coaches, competed for the U.S. luge association.
Anke Wischnewski and Aileen Frisch (both of Germany) earned a fourth and fifth place, respectively. US luger Erin Hamlin, 2009 World Champion in Lake Placid and fifth at the 2007 Worlds, posted a sixth-place finish. Kimberly McRae and Ariane Jones on eighth and ninth place, respectively, rounded off a successful day for the Canadian hosts.
Russia’s Tatiana Ivanova, silver medalist at last year’s World Championships and fourth at the 2010 Olympic Games, botched her first run and barely reached the final of the 20 best competitors. Eventually, the 21-year old finished in 15th position.
The complete result lists can be downloaded at www.fil-luge.org
Quotes
Natalie Geisenberger (GER / 2013 World Champion, 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, 2012 World bronze medalist, European Champion in 2008 and 2013) “Already at the start I thought that the World Championship title would be such a nice birthday present. Now I’m perfectly happy. I’ve had some ups and downs in the past but I’ve always been certain that my day would come. Well, today’s the day.”
Tatjana Huefner
(GER / Olympic and four-time World Champion)
“I wouldn’t call it a ‘happy end’. I could have done better. I’ve certainly lost a tenth of a second in the first run and then failed to put more pressure on Natalie in her second run. But I’ve to absolutely acknowledge that Natalie was better than me today. I’m rather happy with the silver medal.”
Alex Gough
(CAN / 2011 World bronze medalist)
“It feels really good. It is tough to be that close to a silver medal, and not be there. But I’m very happy with my performance. I felt like I had good runs and I felt Iike I slid as well as I have been all week. I have to be happy with that.”
