Hamlin places sixth in Germany, ties her season best
By
ANDREW DONOVAN
Story Created:
Jan 14, 2012 at 4:48 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Jan 14, 2012 at 6:16 PM EDT
OBERHOF, Germany (WKTV) - Remsen’s Erin Hamlin took sixth place in Saturday's world cup run in Germany. The finish ties for her best of this season.
The 2009 World Champion used her second run to improve from 11th place to sixth. It was her third top 10 result of the year. She was 0.56 of a second from the podium, according to USA Luge.
"Oberhof and I don’t have the best history," Hamlin said. "This week, the sled felt good here right off the bat. I was glad to have that feeling back.
"My first run was a little off. The start was not the best. I was fighting to keep it down the middle of the ramp, and from (curves) eight to around 11, I was a little off. You can lose quite a bit of momentum through there. But I was able to smooth it out in the second run."
Hamlin, a two-time Olympian, was backed by her younger teammates from the USA. Kate Hansen’s eighth place result and Emily Sweeney’s 11th were both World Cup bests for two racers still in their late teens.
Germany used home ice to their advantage as they dominated the doubles and women’s singles races. They took five of six medals on the day.
Germans Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken, who have been challenging the doubles leaders since the second half of last year, finally broke through with their first career World Cup win. Eggert and Benecken used track record start and finish times - both in the first heat - and posted the two best runs of the race. They won in dominant fashion, creating nearly a 0.25 cushion between themselves and teammates Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt.
German women swept the podium as Natalie Geisenberger led the team ahead of 2010 Olympic gold medal winner Tatjana Huefner and Anke Wischnewski.
Geisenberger posted 42.393 and a track record 42.050 for a total of 1:24.443. The Vancouver Olympic bronze medalist was 0.25 clear of Huefner who registered 1:24.690. Huefner established a start record to begin her final leg. Anke Wischnewski was third in 1:25.107.
Huefner is atop the women’s overall standings with 455 points.
Hamlin retains her seventh place rank at 205.
