Canadian luger Alex Gough opens World Cup season with bronze

Canadian luger Alex Gough opened the season with a podium finish at a World Cup event in Austria on Saturday.

With a time of 1 minute, 20.017 seconds, the 28-year-old Calgary native claimed bronze behind two German lugers.

Dajana Eitberger earned her first World Cup victory, leading Natalie Geisenberger for a German 1-2 finish at the luge season-opener on the 1976 Olympic track.

In difficult conditions due to snowfall, Eitberger posted the fastest time in both runs to finish in 1:19.795 and beat Olympic and world champion Geisenberger by 0.214.

Geisenberger, who is the three-time defending overall champion, improved from fourth place after a disappointing opening run.

Another German, Tatjana Huefner came in fourth.

Americans Summer Britcher, Emily Sweeney and Erin Hamlin came 5-6-7 after Hamlin and Sweeney finished the opening run in second and third, respectively. The men's doubles race was scheduled for later Saturday.