By The Canadian Press

CALGARY - Germany's powerhouse women's luge team, led by top slider Tatjana Huefener, destroyed all comers Saturday by sweeping the top four spots at the inaugural World Cup event of the season.

Huefner, the bronze medal winner at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, recorded a two-run time of 1:33.691 to take the gold medal in the event at Canada Olympic Park.

The 26-year-old from Neuruppin, near Berlin, led after the first run and didn't look back. She also set a new track start record of 4.913 seconds, formerly held by Canada's Meaghan Simister.

"All four German women were good. We love to make it so dominant here," said Huefner, who dominated the World Cup circuit last season with six gold medals and three silvers.

"We all love Calgary's track and we are very good here."

Hueffner edged teammate Natalie Geisenberger by 16 one-hundredths of a second.

Anke Wischnewski was third, a third of a second back, and Corinna Martini was fourth, eight-tenths of a second off the pace.

Alex Gough of Calgary was the top Canadian at sixth, just under nine-tenths of a second back.

The 22-year-old from Calgary hit the wall in the first run and skidded lower down on the course on the second stint to push herself down the standings.

"There were a few mistakes here and there. I would have liked to have had clean runs, but I'm happy with sixth place," said Gough.

By finishing in the top seven, Gough qualified for selection to the Olympic team. She is considered Canada's best Olympic medal hope in luge heading into the February 2010 event at Whistler. Canada has never won an Olympic medal in the sport.

She was fourth in the World Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y., in February and eighth overall on last season's World Cup circuit.

Veteran slider Regan Lauscher of Red Deer, Alta., was 10th, Simister of Regina was 17th, and Calgary's Denae Delcourt was 23rd in the 24-sled field.

Lauscher, aiming for her third Olympic Games, bounced off the wall in the first run, but said she relaxed in the second stint and improved.

"I knew there was no way I could catch the top girls unless they were making some serious mistakes, so I really wanted to have a good run and end on a good note," she said.

The win was sweet redemption for the German women.

They had won 99 consecutive international races - World Cup, Olympics, and World Championships - until American Erin Hamlin took gold at the World Championships last February in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Hamlin beat the Germans by about a fifth of a second over two runs. The 23-year-old became a local hero in her hometown of Remsen in upstate New York. Signs down the main street celebrated her win and she had an ice cream sundae named for her.

Hamlin was seventh Saturday, losing time higher up in the track that she couldn't make back.

"There were a few mistakes you can't afford on this track," said Hamlin.

"Those little mistakes cost a lot at the bottom."

The next race is Nov. 28-29 at Igls, Austria.