Lauscher slides to season-best ninth at luge World Cup
Canwestwww.canada.com
January 16, 2010
OBERHOF, Germany - Canada's Regan Lauscher posted her best finish of the World Cup season in her final tune-up race before the 2010 Winter Games after sliding into ninth spot in Germany on Saturday.
Lauscher, of Red Deer, Alta., had one of her best runs of the year in the second heat to post a two-run time of one minute 27.220 seconds.
The Germans swept the women's podium. Tatjana Hufner set a new track record in her opening run at 42.920 en route to setting the time to beat at 1:25.936. Anke Wischnewski was second at 1:26.203, while Natalie Geisenberger completed the sweep in third (1:26.322).
The 29-year-old Lauscher, who also finished 10th at the season-opening Calgary World Cup this year, has worked her way back to elite form after overcoming double-shoulder surgery in 2007 after a crash on the World Cup in Altenberg, Germany.
Calgary's Alex Gough, who has been threatening the World Cup podium the last two years, was in seventh spot after the opening run, but fell back to 12th place in Oberhof after clocking a two-run time of 1:27.346. Regina's Meaghan Simister finished 19th at 1:27.798.
The Germans swept the podium in the doubles race. Andre Florschutz and Torsten Wustlich finished on top of the podium after posting a time of 1:25.567. Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt teamed up for the silver medal at 1:25.633, while Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch clocked-in at 1:26.001 to claim the bronze.
Chris and Mike Moffat finished as the top Canadians in the race. The Calgary brothers finished in 11th spot with a two-run time of 1:26.924. Canada's other sled driven by teenagers, Tristan Walker, of Cochrane, Alta., and Calgary's Justin Snith, were 15th at 1:27.633.
The final German stop on the World Cup wraps up on Sunday with men's singles racing.