Music: {allcanada} CANADIAN GOUGH FOURTH AT WOMEN'S LUGE WORLD CUP EVENT

Sunday, December 1, 2013

{allcanada} CANADIAN GOUGH FOURTH AT WOMEN'S LUGE WORLD CUP EVENT

Christmas In Connecticut (1945)

WINTERBERG, Germany -- Alex Gough slid just short of her second World Cup medal of the season after finishing fourth at the luge World Cup in Winterberg, Germany on Sunday.

The 26-year-old from Calgary, who won the bronze medal at the season-opener in Norway, could not break Germany's domination of the podium and was forced into fourth with a two-run time of one minute 54.382 seconds.

"We just weren't quick enough on the start today," said Wolfgang Staudinger, the head coach of Canada's luge team. "To win medals it is a tough battle and you have to be on the ball every single day. Alex is in the mix and if we all do our job right I know we can do this."

The Germans swept the women's luge podium for the second straight week. Natalie Geisenberger finished on top with a time of 1:53.457. Tatjana Hufner was second at 1:53.897, while Anke Wischnewski grabbed the bronze at 1:54.101.

Two other Calgary-based Canadian women enjoyed their best results of the season. Kimberley McRae found her way into the top-10 for the first time this year. McRae clocked a 10th-place time of 1:54.733. Arianne Jones also had a solid outing, placing 16th at 1:55.028. Calgary's Jordan Smith rounded out the Canadian contingent in 23rd with a time of 1:59.676.

The Canadian squad of Gough, Sam Edney and Tristan Walker and Justin Snith were leading the team relay event in the afternoon until they were disqualified after the doubles sled left the start gate too early.

Geisenberger leads the standings with 300 points, ahead of Huefner (200) and Wischnewski (186).

However, a mistake from Geisenberger at the start of the team relay later Sunday cost Germany the chance of making it a perfect 4-for-4 in gold medals from the weekend.

Italy's Sandra Gasparini, Dominik Fischnaller and Christian Oberstolz with Patrick Gruber took advantage and won in a track record combined time of 2:25.874.

Hansen and American team mates Greg West, Christian Niccum and Jayson Terdiman were second, ahead of Austria's Nina Reithmayer, Daniel Pfister and Peter Penz with Georg Fischler.

The Germans had to make do with ninth.

On Saturday, Germany's Chris Eissler was the surprise winner of the men's singles race on his World Cup debut, and world champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt claimed their second doubles victory of the season.

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