Taubitz Wins First Gold of 2018/2019 Season

From Calgary, CAN

(Dec. 8, 2018) – Germany stayed perfect in women’s luge on the 2018/2019 FIL World Cup season. However, it wasn’t Natalie Geisenberger taking gold.

Julia Taubitz was the quickest woman in both heats on her way to a tenth of a second victory over Geisenberger. In a race where some of the top athletes in the world struggled to be consistent Taubitz was consistently fast. Geisenberger was quick and clean in both runs, but the Olympic gold medalist couldn’t keep pace with her teammate.

Geisenberger finished with a silver medal, just ahead of Canadian Kimberley McRae. McRae scored a bronze medal in her first race of the 2018/2019 season. The race in Calgary will be one of only a handful of races McRae will race in as she works to finish school.

Italian Andrea Vötter finished fourth, ahead of Americans Summer Britcher and Emily Sweeney, who rounded out the top six.

Among the women who had trouble piecing two runs together were Tatjana Hüfner who came into the second heat in 14th but finished seventh, and Tatyana Ivanova who had trouble on her first run but moved up to 13th from 18th in the first heat.

Olympic silver medalist Dajana Eitberger continued to struggle this season, only setting the 22nd fastest run in the first heat before crashing in the second heat and finishing 25th, 37 seconds back.

Despite not scoring a medal, it was a solid day for the American women. Raychel Germaine finished 14th and Brittney Arndt 15th to round out the United States’ effort.

Canada expected to have at least one good finish out of their team with McRae, but had a great race across the board. Carolyn Maxwell finished with her first career top ten in tenth place, and Brooke Apshkrum finished 13th.

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