Taubitz Wins in Warm Altenberg

From Altenberg, GER

(February 4, 2024) – For the second straight day it was warm and wet in Altenberg, and for the second straight day the winner came from outside of the top 20.

Like Max Langenhan the day before, Julia Taubitz was well back in the first heat finishing order. She sat 22nd after the first heat, and like Langenhan had a second run that was over a second and a half quicker than her first.

Taubitz started her climb by finishing ahead of the United States’ Emily Sweeney, who had a bit of a bumpy start in her first heat. Sweeney joined Taubitz on the slow move up the rankings until eventually Latvia’s Elina Vitola tucked in behind Taubitz in second, and two sleds later Austria’s Lisa Schulte slid into third from 13th in the first heat.

That trio continued to climb the ladder. Madeleine Egle, usually Taubitz’s toughest competition this season, had a much later start and despite a really good run had absolutely nothing for Taubitz. She eventually finished eighth.

The last slider off the top in the second heat was Verena Hofer, leader of the first heat. A good slide was only good enough for 13th place overall after two runs for Hofer as Taubitz won gold, with Vitola silver and Schulte bronze.

Afterward, Taubitz told FIL’s Kate Hansen that she didn’t expect the win despite the great slide.

“I had a good run,” she said. But thought maybe it would be a top six or top ten, but not a victory. I just tried to do two good runs and see what happens. The track crew did the best they could, but with the weather…it’s an outdoor sport!

While it was another gold medal in Taubitz’s storied career, it may not have carried he same weight given the weather.

“I’m happy with the win, but it’s not the same.”

The first woman off of the podium was Germany’s Anna Berreiter, who was in 19th after the first heat and finished fourth.

Emily Sweeney led the United States’ effort despite trouble at the start of her first run. She finished fifth, just ahead of Germany’s Melina Fischer in sixth. Summer Britcher helped put two American sleds in the top ten with a tenth place effort. Ashley Farquharson entered the second heat in tenth and had an otherwise clean run but was .7 slower than Sweeney in the second heat and finished 11th.

Halfway through the women’s luge season Taubitz has a 98 point lead over Egle. Berreiter sits third, 100 points behind Egle. Farquharson and Schulte round out the top five, with Sweeney in sixth.

Results: