Calgary’s McRae races to 6th place as Canada held off podium in World Cup luge

WINTERBURG, Germany – Calgary’s Kim McRae raced to sixth place in the season-opening World Cup luge event Saturday, the top result on a disappointing day for the Canadian team.

“I believe this was a big eye opener for our team today. The World Cup is the best athletes in the world and does not allow for inconsistency or any margin for error if you want to be on the podium,” said Canada’s head coach Wolfgang Staudinger.

“There are lots of positive things happening, but we simply are not sliding to our full potential. The world is not standing still. We are here to win medals so if we want to compete with the best we need to push ourselves. I know what this team of athletes are capable of, but we must work harder and be more consistent.”

Calgary’s Alex Gough was 10th in the women’s race, while Tristan Walker of Cochrane, Alta., and Calgary’s Justin Snith were seventh in the doubles race.

Strong starts, but sloppy sliding down the 15-corner track was the theme of the day.

The 24-year-old McRae was fifth in her first run, but dropped one spot in her final trip, finishing sixth with a combined time one minute 51.790 seconds.

Germans swept the women’s podium with Natalie Geisenberger winning gold. Tatjana Huefner was second, while Dajana Eitberger won bronze.

The men’s singles race is Sunday.