Lanthaler Wins 2022 Natural Track European Championship

From Laas, ITA

(February 12, 2022) – Over the past few season there has been nobody better or more dominating in sliding sports than Evelin Lanthaler. She’s not only won 12 straight World Cup races, but has taken gold in 19 of her last 20 World Cup races. She’s won every championship from 2018 onward, and that streak continued on Saturday with gold in the FIL World Cup European Championships.

As she’s done all season, Lanthaler dominated the race with the quickest run in both heats on her way to a 1.14 second victory over teammate Greta Pinggera.

The win gave Lanthaler her fourth straight European Cup title. She’s won seven of the last eight championships, with only Pinggera keeping her from a perfect record over the last eight championships between World and European Championship events.

Pinggera finished second, just .16 ahead of Austria’s Tina Unterberger in third. Pinggera entered the second run in third place, but put down the best run of anyone not named “Lanthaler” to move up the order.

The silver for Pinggera was her best ever finish, and first ever medal, in a European Championship.

Ekaterina Lavrenteva, Nadine Staffler, and Daniela Mittermair rounded out the top six.

Germany’s Sara Bachmann was the big mover in the second heat. She entered the run in 13th place, but was able to jump up into tenth with a strong final run.

Canada’s Bailey Stonham, the only North American entered this weekend, picked up nearly a full second from her first run and finished 22nd.

Results: