Renate Gietl (ITA) overcomes dislike of the track in Olang/Valdaora with a win Olang/Valdaora (ck) - “I have never managed to win here before, but now I know that I can win on each track all over the world and this is a great feeling” said Renate Gietl (ITA) happily after her win. Two fastest run times and a lucky charm were the secret for her success. “The flashy green nail polish on her fingers has a story behind it. “Earlier in the season we just tried some colors within our team, then the pink-orange combination worked so well in the world championships and I became a little bit superstitious. I knew that in Olang I had to be like poison, so I chose the poisonous looking flashy green.” And indeed, she upset her eternal rival from Russia one more time. “We really owe it to each other that we are so strong. In the past years we have always been fighting each other and we have both benefited from that. When you win and there was strong competition, it counts even more”, said Gietl and wants to make the decision about her own retirement a bit dependent on Lavrentjeva’s decision. “I don’t know what I will do. The last races were really exhausting and I need to recharge my batteries and see what’s happening. I have heard that Ekatharina wants to quit and it would be very strange to keep competing without her around.” Right now Ekatharina Lavrentjeva (RUS) wants to go back home to Kandalaksha in northern Russia at the White Sea. “I have not been home since November”, she said. This is why she cannot work in her job as a sport teacher. “I am away too often. Currently I am working as an assistant coach for luge, I do not have my own group any more.” The job as a school teacher lays in the future for her, when she ends her career as a professional athlete. She has not made a decision yet when that will be. The actual result of the race did not really bother her: “This is my favourite track, I have never been so bad as today. Not one run was without mistakes”, she laughed and could not believe it herself. “Maybe I wanted to win too badly. But I also knew that I had to crash and not score at all to lose the overall world cup, so the result did not really matter.” However, she finished second and scored her 60th world cup podium finish. Melanie Batkowski (AUT) found herself at peace and satisfied with the last run of the season. “I made a minor mistake in final curve and touched the board, but the time was good and it was a great run. The first run was not so good and I was too far away from the winning time. However, I know that I could have achieved the same times as the winners.” But Melanie Batkowski does not complain about missed chances, she is focussed on the future already. “But before I start preparing for the next season, though, I have to work some overtime to make up for all the free time I used up during the season.” Batkowski works in the Red Cross office in the greater district of Innsbruck and has found a job there which will allow her to continue her luge career for many more years. The men’s race will be held this afternoon, the second run will start at 3pm, today, Saturday. Final Results Women (15): 1. Renate GIETL (ITA), 1:09.38(1), 1:08,03(1), 2:17,41 2. Ekatharina LAVRENTJEVA (RUS), 1:09,72(2), 1:08,97(3), 2:18,69 3. Melanie BATKOWSKI (AUT), 1:10,16(3), 1:08,94(2), 2:19,10 4. Melanie SCHWARZ (ITA), 1:10,50(4), 1:10,17(5), 2:20,67 5. Evelin LANTHALER (ITA), 1:11,95(7), 1:09,66(4), 2.21,61 6. Alexandra OBRIST (ITA), 1:11,48(5), 1:10,48(6), 2:21,96 7. Michaela MAURER (GER), 1:11,89(6), 1:10,90(8), 2:22,79 8. Ludmila AKSENENKO (RUS), 1:12,62(8), 1:10,53(7), 2:23,15 Final Standing World Cup Women (6/6): 1. Ekatharina LAVRENTJEVA (RUS) 570 2. Renate GIETL (ITA) 495 3. Melanie BATKOWSKI (AUT) 450 4. Evelin LANTHALER (ITA) 355 5. Marlies WAGNER (AUT) 261 6. Ludmila AKSENENKO (RUS) 245 7. Melanie SCHWARZ (ITA) 217 8. Alexandra OBRIST (ITA) 215 9. Veronika NACHMANN (GER) 180 10. Tina UNTERBERGER (AUT) 162 11. Michaela MAURER (GER) 138 12. Katrin MLADEK (AUT) 136