Luge-Germany's Taubitz edges towards ending Olympic heartache

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 7 - Germany's women have utterly dominated the luge competition since it joined the Olympics in 1964 but one name – Julia Taubitz – is a glaring omission from the honours board and it is a situation she looks ready to rectify in Cortina.

Of the 16 women’s singles gold medals available, Germany – East, West and unified – have won an incredible 12, as well as 14 silver and nine bronze. In the last seven Olympics they have won every gold plus six silvers.

Yet Taubitz, who turns 30 next month and who has eight gold and seven silvers across various world championship events and is a five times overall World Cup winner, has never been close to an Olympic podium.

She missed out on selection for the 2018 Games as she was the fourth-best German in the rankings, and the three who went ahead of her finished first, second and fourth.

Four years later she made it to Beijing and set a track record with her opening run. However, a disastrous second, when she crashed on the final curve and slid over the line face-down with her sled on her back, ended her chances and she eventually finished seventh, as compatriots Natalie Geisenberger and Anna Berreiter took gold and silver.

Looking back to the crash, in the build-up to Cortina, Taubitz told the International Luge Federation: "At that moment, my world fell apart. Although I was back on the track the next day and set the fastest time in the fourth run, it took me a long time to get over that setback.

"An experience like that changes you. I started working with a mental coach ... I've become mentally stronger than ever before."

Taubitz clocked the 10th and fourth-fastest times in Thursday’s first practice when athletes tend to experiment the most with their equipment and line, but showed her class by setting the pace in both of Saturday’s two runs.

In her first, looking sleek in an all-black suit, she picked up time in the bottom half to clock 53.268 seconds – the fastest of the week by anyone - and followed up with 53.408

Compatriot Anna Berreiter, who took silver four years ago, was just behind her on Saturday and, along with the third German Merle Fraebel, will expect to be in the mix when the medals are decided on Tuesday following Sunday's final practice runs.

Lisa Schulte, the World Cup leader, and fellow Austrian Hannah Prock, daughter of former world champion Markus, also posted sharp times and look the main threat to the Germans.

The Italian team sacrificed some World Cup events this season to instead rack up practice runs on the new track and it looked to be paying off as Sandra Robatscher and Verena Hofer were also among the fastest across the rounds. REUTERS