Ivanova posted a first run time of 41.840sec on the challenging artificial track, bettering the 42.679 she set on the way to winning gold at the 2010 European Championships, before clocking 41.794 in the second.

Her overall time of 1:23.634 saw her finish 0.097 seconds ahead of Germany's Tatjana Hüfner, the 2010 Olympic gold medallist and four-time world champion, and become the fifth winner of the season in the seventh race.

"This is the perfect motivation ahead of the World Championships in Königssee later this month," said Ivanova, who was returning to the scene of her silver medal-winning performance at last year’s World Championships.

Hüfner’s compatriot Natalie Geisenberger, the reigning Olympic champion and double world gold medallist, finished third with a time of 1:23.766.

"I’m happy," said Geisenberger.

"Five winners in seven races is good for luge as a sport."

Home favourite Eliza Cauce secured her best result of the season in fourth, while Summer Britcher’s 10th place finish was enough for the American to retain her lead in the overall World Cup standings on 529 points.

Defending champion Geisenberger lies second on 495 points, nine ahead of the United States’ Erin Hamlin, who came home fifth in Sigulda.

Britcher has won three World Cup races this season, while Geisenberger, Hamlin and German Dajana Eitberger have all managed one.

Meanwhile in the doubles event, German duo Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt registered a winning time of 41.778 to move to the top of the World Cup standings on 567 points.

Latvia's Oskars Gudramovics and Peteris Kalnins were runners-up, 0.187 behind, while Austria's Peter Penz and Georg Fischler completed the podium with a time of 42.009.

Germany's Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken, who finished way down in 21st despite setting a start record of 1.525, have dropped to second in the World Cup standings on 540 points with Penz and Fischler in third on 540. 

The men’s singles competition is scheduled to take place tomorrow.