Luge-Taubitz takes gold for Germany after Fraebel blunder

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 10 : Germany's Julia Taubitz won an emphatic Olympic gold in the women's luge singles on Tuesday, roaring home with tears in her eyes after compatriot Merle Fraebel had a terrible third run to drop out of contention having started the day a fraction adrift.

Elina Bota finished second become the first Latvian woman to claim a singles medal in luge, with Ashley Farquharson getting the bronze for the United States.

Taubitz won by nearly a second - a huge margin in a sport where positions can be decided by thousandths - and continues her country's domination of an event they have now won 13 times out of 17, including the last eight in a row.

"It was a dream from when I was a child and now the dream comes true and I'm so happy and thankful about it," Taubitz said.

"I think I cried a lot before the last corner because I know, 'okay, the run was good, it must be possible'."

In Monday's opening runs Taubitz and Fraebel chalked up three track records between them, with Taubitz carrying a narrow lead, and it looked to be a shoot-out between them for gold.

Taubitz was first out again on Tuesday and though it was slightly slower, that conservative approach paid immediate dividends when 22-year-old Fraebel followed her out and incredibly bounced off both walls at the start and trundled home as the 20th of 25 athletes, almost a second and a half behind and totally out of contention.

After that it was a battle for the minor medals, with Bota and Farquharson edging Italian duo Verena Hofer and Sandra Robatscher, before Taubitz finished things off with the fastest time, for the third time in four runs.

The victory will be particularly sweet for Taubitz, 29, who has a painful relationship with the Olympics.

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