New mum Geisenberger back on World Cup podium

Natalie Geisenberger is back on the luge World Cup podium just six months after giving birth to her son.

The Olympic champion returned fit and firing following her baby break - with Leo born in May - but couldn't quite take top spot in the season opener, finishing second to teammate Julia Taubitz in Innsbruck-Igls, Austria.

The German success didn't stop there with Dajana Eitberger coming home for bronze to lock out the podium in Austria.

Geisenberger was second following the first run and that's where she remained, with her combined time of 1:20.409 seeing her finish just 0.120 seconds adrift of Taubitz.

Taubitz, who set the track record of 39.745s in 2018, quickly found her form and led at all checkpoints after the start in both slides to register times of 40.177 and 40.112 seconds.

Eitberger, meanwhile, recovered from fifth at the halfway stage to stop the clock in 40.226s second time around, enough to take the final step on the podium in the first race of the World Cup season.

Home favourite Madeleine Egle had sat third after the first run but a disappointing second effort saw her slip down to fifth overall.

"It's a nice feeling to start the season with a triple victory," said the 24-year-old winner Taubitz, referring to the German success across the weekend.

"I said to Natalie before that if I didn't know you had a child, I wouldn't believe it."

Sportsbeat 2020