“At the right place at the right time” he was, said Robert Batkowski after taking the lead in the team event in today´s first competition in Laces. “We have been working really hard and now finally there are the results”, he said. The reigning World Champion had not finished better than a fifth place throughout the World Cup season, but World Championships seem to be just his living room. Robert Batkowski had finished his run at the lead, but the base for the gold medal was laid by his 15-year-old sister Melanie. In the competition, which consists of one run each for men, women and doubles, she had won her race, too. “I am 15 and I am World Champion, I still cannot believe it, it is just so terrific. I felt great from the beginning, my run was excellent from start to finish and I really love this track”, she said. A couple of years ago she started competing just out of a family tradition and to join her two brothers when they went to a children´s race. Melanie won the race and from then on she knew that she would go for more. Who knows, she will definitely be a medal contender for the women´s event which will be started tomorrow. Only the double of the gold medallist team, Reinhard Beer/Herbert Kögl did not win their race. They gave away two points finishing second behind the Polish double. “We did have some minor mistakes today, but for tomorrow we are ready for another full attack”, Herbert Kögl promises.

Austria won gold by a comfortable winning margin of six points, but behind them the field was crowded within two points. After a great run of Ekatharina Lavrentjeva, who was runner up behind Melanie Batkowski, the team of Russia I could win the silver medal just one point ahead of Italy I. ItalyI should have been the clear contender for the gold medal considering that Anton Blasbichler as well as Renate Gietl, both who had won four World Cups out of five in this season, were part of this team. But Toni Blasbichler knows the reasons why they had to settle for bronze: “Winning often looks easier than it is. We are certainly a strong team, but we know that Austria as well as Russia has a well balanced team, which is important for a team event. The track here is difficult. Not in a general sense of difficult, but it is very hard to have a 100% perfect run.” Renate Gietl, serial winner as well, has problems to get adjusted to the track: “I really do not want to complain about the conditions here, it is me. I just do not get along with this track. The ice is somehow different here. Of course I am happy that we could win a medal today, only one point ahead of Poland - so close.”