With 5 medals, Germans dominate luge events

IGLS, Austria — Germany’s lugers won five of six World Cup medals up for grabs in women’s singles and men’s doubles races on Saturday.

Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch of Germany won the men’s event, adding to their record total of 34 career World Cup victories.

The 2002 Olympic champions, who also won the season-opening race in Calgary last week, set a track record in their opening run and finished in a combined time of 1 minute, 18.631 seconds.

Earlier Saturday, Natalie Geisenberger led a German sweep in the women’s singles for her fourth career title. The victory marked the 92nd straight victory by the German women in World Cup luge. They last lost a race in November 1997.

Andre Florschuetz and Torsten Wustlich of Germany finished second in the men’s doubles, trailing the winners by 0.101 seconds. Austria’s Andreas and Wolfgang Linger took third, 0.106 behind.

Matt Mortensen and Preston Griffall were the top Americans, tied for eighth in 1:19.148

Norway’s Romoren wins opening ski jumping event

KUUSAMO, Finland — Bjorn Einar Romoren of Norway has edged German teenager Pascal Bodmer at the Nordic Opening to start the ski jumping season.

Romoren sailed 139.5 and 139 meters with his two jumps, amassing 299.8 points at the Ruka ski center on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Bodmer tied for the joint longest jump, 141 meters, with Andreas Kofler of Austria. Bodmer rose to second from eighth place after a first jump of 133 meters to earn 290.7 points for his first individual podium finish at a World Cup event.

Lamy Chappuis takes Nordic combined event

KUUSAMO, Finland — Jason Lamy Chappuis of France has won the opening Nordic combined World Cup event, edging four-time overall champion Hannu Manninen in the Finn’s comeback.

Lamy Chappuis led after a 142.5-meter effort in the ski jump, and held off his competitors in the cross-country race, finishing in 27 minutes, 5 seconds. Manninen was 8.1 seconds behind, with Eric Frenzel of Germany another 2.5 seconds back in third.

The 29-year-old Manninen retired last season to concentrate on his studies to become an airline pilot. He came back this season, hoping to compete in the team event at the Vancouver Olympics.

Hattestad, Kowalczyk win cross country sprints

KUUSAMO, Finland — Ola Vigen Hattestad of Norway has won a mens’ World Cup cross-country sprint race ahead of compatriot Oeystein Pettersen.

Russia’s Nikita Kriukov prevented a Norwegian sweep in the 1.4-kilometer event at the Ruka ski center on Saturday, beating John Kristian Dahl. Hattestad won the sprint championship at last year’s Nordic worlds and is a favorite for a medal at the Vanouver Olympics in February.

Reigning World Cup champion Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland dominated the women’s 1.2K race. Petra Majdic of Slovenia was second and Alena Prochazkova of Slovakia took third in a photo finish with Aino-Kaisa Saarinen of Finland.