Golden Germans: Huefner gives her country a luge singles sweep of gold at Vancouver Olympics

Huefner gives Germany yet another luge gold

WHISTLER, British Columbia — Tatjana Huefner said she was nervous.

So nervous, Huefner was, that before her final run of the women’s luge event at the Vancouver Games she … found a quiet spot near the starting line and took a half-hour nap.

And when asked when she arrived at these Olympics expecting a gold medal, Huefner replied, “Uh, yes.”

Uh, yes, she delivered, adding yet another layer Tuesday to her country’s magnificent run of dominance in the fastest sliding sport, giving Germany its ninth women’s luge gold in 13 Olympic competitions.

“I wanted to win here,” Huefner said, “and I’m very happy that the dream came true.”

Her four-run time of 2 minutes, 46.524 seconds was 0.490 seconds better than Austrian silver medalist Nina Reithmayer. Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger took the bronze.

The bronze medalist at Turin in 2006, Huefner slapped the ice when this one was over, then got almost tackled by Geisenberger, who rushed over to deliver a massive hug before the new Olympic champion wrapped herself in the German flag.

Germany 26, Everybody Else 13. That’s the scoreboard now when it comes to medals awarded all-time in women’s Olympic luge competition.

“We are the best sliders in the world at the moment,” Geisenberger said.

A year ago, that title was held by Erin Hamlin.

No more, though, as these Olympics — first marred by the tragic death of a Georgian men’s slider in a training crash, then further marked by frustration by athletes upset that race officials ordered all competitors to start from lower than planned on the track — were one to forget for the American trio.

Hamlin, the 2009 world champion from Remsen, N.Y., was 16th, never able to solve that reconfigured and tricky start. Julia Clukey of Augusta, Maine was 17th, while Megan Sweeney of Suffield, Conn. was 22nd.

“These results don’t represent us as a team,” Clukey said.

The start used was just a few meters away from what’s Curve 6 in Whistler, a sharp banker to the left that demanded precision off that beginning ramp. It’s so severe that Hamlin boldly predicted before the competition that the start would make or break the race.

Turns out, her race broke.

“It is a bummer, just because we prepared for so long for a whole different race,” Hamlin said.

And the American camp was miffed, to put it mildly: USA Luge, in a newsletter it e-mailed to followers before Tuesday’s final two heats, headlined its top story “Lower start turns women’s Olympic luge race into a crap shoot.”

They weren’t alone in that thinking.

“This was a real race,” said Canada’s Meaghan Simister, “but not a real start.”

Entering these Olympics, there have been 10 World Cup races since Hamlin won the world title in Lake Placid. Her worst finish in those 10 events? Ninth.

With three bronze showings in the last five World Cup races this season, plus that world title, her medal hopes were legit.

In Whistler, slip-slidin’ away they went.

“When you train for a year and a half and something gets totally turned upside down, it’s tough,” said Hamlin, whose spirits were buoyed by the large gallery of flag-waving, body-painted family and friends who made the 3,000-mile trek to Whistler. “It’s a little bit hard to swallow at some points, but it’s over with. Hopefully when I come back here to race it will be different.”

Even with the lower speed, there was one scary moment Tuesday when Slovakia’s Jana Sisajova crashed in her final run. Watching on TV monitors, Canada’s Alex Gough and Italy’s Sandra Gasparini immediately gasped and covered their mouths at the sight.

Sisajova was able to walk away.

Race officials said the lower start was ordered to help athletes deal with the emotional shock of having a fellow competitor die in a crash.

Still, Clukey wondered why sliders apparently had no voice in that discussion.

“I know it was a tragedy, but I wish they would have consulted the athletes,” Clukey said. “I understand because of the seriousness of what happened — but if it was for safety reasons I think they should have asked the athletes.”

Finishes not withstanding, the U.S. seemed to try and enjoy yet another medal-free Olympics — no American singles luger has ever reached the podium.

When her race was done, Sweeney pumped her fists at the finish as her sled was skidding to a stop, then stood on the finish deck blowing kisses to the crowd, smile never leaving her red-cheeked face for several minutes. In turn, they serenaded her with “Happy Birthday” — she turns 23 Wednesday.

“To have that support,” Sweeney said, “it’s incredible.”

Sweeney has a party on Wednesday. Another German gold celebration might still be going then.

Huefner entered Tuesday’s final two runs leading Reithmayer by 0.05 seconds, meaning the gold was still undecided.

Not for long, it wasn’t.

First down the ramp for the third heat Tuesday, Huefner more than quintupled her lead, moving 0.268 seconds clear of Reithmayer. Doesn’t sound like much, but in luge, that sort of margin meant it was over. All Huefner needed to do in her final heat was simply stay aboard her sled and avoid major problems.

She did that with ease.

“Her results speak for themselves,” Hamlin said. “She’s just really good.”

Huefner’s favorite offseason hobby is climbing.

And after crossing the finish line, she had something to climb — the medal podium.

Germany is golden again.