Rudman (pictured top), the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic silver medallist and overall World Cup winner last season, recorded a combined time of  1min 56.3sec to win by almost a second from home athlete Anja Huber and America's former world champion Noelle Pikus-Pace, back on the circuit after a brief retirement, who achieved her first podium finish for three years.

Her first run of 58.06 set the record.

The overall champion tweeted afterwards: "Just won the Winterberg World Cup and set a new track record by half a second!"

It was Rudman's first World Cup win of the season.


British teammate Lizzy Yarnold, the world junior champion, was fourth.

She tweeted her congratulations to her compatriot: "Shelley was unbeatable today, great performance."

Yarnold has performed the better of the two so far this season, with silver at Park City then bronze in Whistler.

Katie Uhlaender, the United States' world champion, missed the cut for the final run after skidding during her first run.

"In nine years I have never lost the chance for a second run," Uhlaender said.

"I really thought Noelle and I were going to battle it out for the win."

Latvia's Martins Dukurs won the men's event in 1:52.71 from Russia's Alexander Tretiakov and German Christopher Grotheer.

Britons Kristan Bromley and Ed Smith were fourth and 12th respectively.

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