Grand finale of the 2023/2024 FIL Natural Track Luge World Cup: A double World Cup will be held in Winterleiten (AUT) from February 15th-18th, with the overall standings being decided in all three categories.

The globes for the winners of the overall standings

Winterleiten (FIL/14/02/2024) Four World Cups and one Eliminator were held in the 2023/2024 season so far and the battle for the overall World Cup will be decided in the last two races. Patrick Pigneter (ITA) is heading for his twelfth overall victory in the men's singles; with four wins so far this season, the 36-year-old leads the overall standings with 485 points, ahead of Michael Scheikl (AUT/321) and Daniel Gruber (ITA/320). A tenth place (36 points) on Saturday will be enough for Pigneter to win the overall World Cup early, as the number of wins this season will decide in case of a tie.

In the women's singles there is an exciting race for third place in the overall standings between Tina Unterberger (AUT/277), Jenny Castiglioni (ITA/256), Lisa Walch (GER/230) and Nadine Staffler (ITA/224). Junior World Champion Riccarda Ruetz (AUT) has secured her second place in the overall standings with 400 points, same as serial winner Evelin Lanthaler (ITA/500) in the lead. It would be Lanthaler's seventh overall victory in a row and eighth overall. The 32-year-old has been unbeaten in 26 World Cup races in a row and if she also wins the two races this weekend, she would celebrate her 50th World Cup victory on Sunday. All-time record holder Ekaterina Lavrenteva (RUS) holds 55 victories.

In the doubles' finale, there will be a showdown between Matthias Lambacher/Peter Lambacher (ITA/470) and Maximilian Pichler/Nico Edlinger (AUT/425). Tobias Paur/Andreas Hofer (ITA), who secured the gold medal at the Junior World Championships in Winterleiten just a few days ago, could tip the scales in their favour. If Paur/Hofer can finish ahead of Lambacher/Lambacher with two wins from Pichler/Edlinger, then the overall victory will go to Styria. On the other hand, one victory in the last two races would be enough for Lambacher/Lambacher to win the big crystal globe.

The program
Friday, February 16th, 2024
9 am: Nations training women’s singles and men’s singles
10.30 am: Nations training women’s singles and men’s singles 
12.30 pm: Nations training doubles

Saturday, 17.02.2024
9 a.m.: Competition run doubles, followed by flower ceremony
9.30 a.m.: 1st competition run women’s singles
10 a.m.: 1st competition run men’s singles
11 a.m.: Final run women's singles, followed by flower ceremony
11.45 am: Final run men's singles, followed by flower ceremony and award ceremony for doubles, women's singles and men's singles

Sunday, 18.02.2024
9 a.m.: Competition run doubles, followed by flower ceremony
9.30 a.m.: 1st competition run women’s singles
10 a.m.: 1st competition run men’s singles
11 a.m.: Final run women's singles, followed by flower ceremony
11.45 am: Final run men's singles, followed by flower ceremony and award ceremony for doubles, women's singles and men's singles