European title still missing from Huefner’s and Loch’s collections
Oberhof (pps) While Oberhof will celebrate its 25th Viessmann Luge World Cup, Germany’s Tatjana Huefner and Felix Loch might well add a continental championship medal as the Europeans of the International Luge Federation (FIL) will be carried out simultaneously. For both the Olympic and four-time World Champion (Huefner) as well as the three-time World and Olympic Champion (Loch) the European gold medal is the only one still missing from their extensive collections.
And both have good memories of the artificially iced track in Thuringia: Nine years ago the then 20-year old Huefner claimed her first podium finish – a silver medal – at the European Championships. Loch, on the other hand, became the youngest World Champion in the history of luge at the age of 17 in 2008. However, the situation couldn’t be more different this time: while Loch is currently setting the standard in the men’s singles and is clearly leading the overall Viessmann Luge World Cup rankings thanks to two victories this season, Huefner is still waiting for her first top podium finish in the pre-Olympic winter. After an almost three-week long break due to back problems the 29-year old Huefner is now gearing up for a comeback on her home track.
Huefner’s main competitor is teammate Natalie Geisenberger, who has scored three victories and two second places so far. Loch’s strongest rivals are his compatriots, too. These are defending European Champion Andi Langenhan, who won the World Cup in Oberhof in 2009-2010, and two-time World Champion David Moeller, who will celebrate his 31st birthday on January 13. Moeller took the podium’s top spot at the World Cup in 2006-2007. Additionally, he claimed his first victory in Koenigssee last weekend after a four-year long drought.
Defending European Champions are Tatiana Ivanova (RUS), Langenhan, Austria’s doubles team of Peter Penz-Georg Fischler and the Russian team with Ivanova, Albert Demchenko and Vladislav Yuzhakov-Vladimir Makhnutin. The Team Relay event is part of the European Championship program in Oberhof, but will not be carried out within the World Cup.
As far as the overall Viessmann Luge World Cup rankings are concerned, things are rather straightforward. Geisenberger is heading the rankings in the women’s singles with 470 points, ahead of teammate Anke Wischnewski (370) and Ivanova (280). In the men’s singles, Loch holds the top position with 415 points ahead of Langenhan (350), who earned a sixth place in Koenigssee, and Moeller (343). Behind Wendl-Arlt (GER / 500 points), who have won all five World Cup events so far, Penz-Fischler (370) and Eggert-Benecken (GER / 367) are in second and third places, respectively.
After the Europeans in 1979, 1998 and 2004, the artificially iced track in Oberhof will now host its fourth FIL Luge European Championships. Additionally, Oberhof organized FIL Luge World Championships in 1973, 1985 and 2008.
