The successful cousins Wolfgang and Andreas Schopf (AUT) won this year´s gold medal in men´s doubleseater at the European Championships in natural track luge in Frantschach (AUT). Last season they celebrated their victories in overall World Cup and at the World Championships in Olang (ITA). This year´s best result of the young Styrians was "merely" a second place in Hüttau (AUT). "We are happy to win again because it was a hard competition today", stated the European Champions who achieved their first victory this season, just 20 kilometres away from their hometown in Styria. Reinhard Beer and Herbert Kögl (AUT) placed on second position, beaten by eleven hundreds of a second. The final in men´s doubleseater was exciting and curios, too. The stadium speaker told, by mistake, an incorrect time of Wolfgang and Andreas Schopf during their run. Therefore, Beer and Kögl celebrated their victory at the finish area. It took a while until everybody noticed that the young cousins triumphed. Barbara Abart (ITA), a young and unknown World Cup athlete, achieved surprisingly the best time after two competition runs in women´s singleseater. Sonja Steinacher (ITA), Sandra Mariner (AUT) and Co. were beaten by the young Italian. "I made a big mistake at the fourth curve and lost too much time to achieve a place at the top. Maybe I can reach the podium after a good run tomorrow", told 25-year-old Sonja Steinacher, winner of this year´s overall World Cup. Sandra Mariner lost time in both runs: "I had the false material today and passed the chance to win a medal". Best athlete in men´s singleseater was the winner of the World Cup in Umhausen, Robert Batkowski (AUT). The 23-year-old Tyrolean placed before five-times World Champion Gerhard Pilz (AUT). Title defender Anton Blasbichler (ITA) and former World Champion Gerald Kallan (AUT) achieved ex aequo the third rank. "The ice is not ideal but it is better than yesterday", resumed Gerald Kallan who was satisfied with his place but not with his performance: "I lost time in some curves". Ferdinand Hirzegger (AUT) left the finish area disappointed. After a poor run the 25-year-old soldier achieved merely the eleventh place.