Lake Placid (pps) Happy Holiday för Sylke Otto: Germany`s Olympic Champion won the 5th race of the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Lake Placid and defended her leading position in the overall standing. Sylke Otto captured her second victory of the 2003-2004 season in Lake Placid in a total time of 1:29,828 min. followed by her team-mates Silke Kraushaar (1:29,866) and Barbara Niedernhuber (1:30,097). It was the 77th victory for Germany in a row since November 29th 1997. In the overall standing Sylke Otto (455 points) is still in the leading position. Second place goes to Silke Kraushaar (427), third place to Barbara Niedernhuber (295). Austria`s Sonja Manzenreiter and Veronika Halder share the fourth place with 266 points.
Sylke Otto (Germany), Olympic Champion 2002: „Regarding the overall World Cup, this was a very important victory. I`m totally happy. This will be a happy holiday for me. I`m so glad, because training doesn`t went well for me.I have had a lot of problems .”
Silke Kraushaar (Germany), Olympic Champion 1998: „Even I have had best time in the first run, a have had a big mistake. Now I`m happy, finishing the first part of the season. Now we will have a short Christmas break. But season goes on with the National and the European Championships.”
Barbara Niedernhuber (Germany), Olympic silver medalist 1998 and 2002: „This was a little bit like bull-riding. In the first run I have had nearly two crashes, in second only one. Place three is okay.”