Eggert/Benecken defeat Wendl/Arlt with new track record

Whistler (RWH) Germany’s Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken set a new track record on their second run to knock perennial rivals Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt off the top spot and claim the 41st win of their career at the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Whistler, Canada. The current World Champions set a new benchmark of 38,291 seconds to beat the previous best time set by their German rivals by one thousandth of a second and secure victory by 0.059 seconds over Wendl/Arlt, who had led the standings at the halfway point. Third place went to the Russians Vsevolod Kashkin/Konstantin Korshunov.

The Canadian women’s doubles pairing of Caitlin Nash/Natalie Corless finished 22nd on their World

Cup debut. They became the first ever all-female doubles duo in the history of the Viessmann World Cup. On top of that, the two 16-year-old sliders also won bronze in the America Pacific Championships behind their compatriots Tristan Walker and Justin Snith and the US duo of Chris Mazdzer/Jayson Terdiman.

Eggert/Benecken retain their lead in the overall standings of the Viessmann World Cup with 370 points ahead of  Wendl/Arlt (340) and the Austrians Thomas Steu/Lorenz Koller (255), who finished fourth in Whistler.

The Whistler Sliding Center is due to host the 50th World Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL) next winter.

The BMW Sprint World Cup in Whistler will complete the racing schedule for 2019. After the Christmas break the Viessmann World Cup racing series will continue with the fourth round in Altenberg (GER) on 11–12 January 2020. 

Quotes

Toni Eggert (GER / Olympic bronze medallist in 2018, World Champion in 2017 and 2019)

“We made our intentions clear with a new track record on the second run. Wendl/Arlt really had to put up a fight. This is a really exciting season and I don’t see that changing as the winter progresses.”

Tobias Wendl (GER / Olympic Champion 2014 and 2018)

“We gave the spectators a thrilling race – five hundredths of a second is virtually nothing. This is our best ever start to a season. Everyone knows we can go one step further at the main event. Our complete package is sensational and we are in good form – that’s why we’ve had such a good start to the season.”

Vsevolod Kashkin (RUS / third at the Junior World Championships 2018)

“We had a podium finish at the end of last season in Sochi. We are trying to improve with each race and we’re always aiming for a medal.”