Whistler (pps) Two World Champion Tatjana Hüfner claimed the lead after the second run in the Olympic Luge competition. Prior to the final two runs, scheduled for Tuesday, the 26-years old German is leading by 0.050 seconds ahead of Nina Reithmayer from Austria who had surprisingly been in first place after the first run. Natalie Geisenberger placed third in the Whistler Sliding Centre, 0.159 seconds behind her teammate Hüfner.
Tatiana Ivanova, Russias first-ever European Champion in Luge, proved her skills again. Three weeks after winning the title at Sigulda, Latvia, the Russian, who will turn 19 on Tuesday, ranked fourth with the bronze medal in reach at just two hundreds of a second. Latvias’ Maija Tiruma, who surprised with being fourth after the first run, dropped back to eighth place in the second heat behind Anke Wischnewski (GER), Alexandra Rodionova (RUS) and Martina Kocher (SUI).
Reigning World Champion Erin Hamlin from the USA, currently in 15th place, and Canada’s top favourite Alex Gough, fourth place at the 2009 Worlds who is ranked 22nd after two runs in Whistler will not be able anymore to make it up to a top three spot in the final two heats.
After the accident of Georgia’s luger Nodar Kumaritaschwili the Women’s race track was shortened by 245m. Some participants faced big problems with the new start which was shifted to the Juniors’ start house.
