Innsbruck-Igls (pps) With a considerable increase in prize money as well as now nine instead of eight events and an eleven-year long winning streak of Germany’s women lugers the Viessmann Luge World Cup is starting into its 32nd season next weekend (November 29-30). Moreover, Austria’s public TV station ORF will be responsible for the production of the TV feed for the first time and will offer an extensive coverage of the season opener.
Instead of the roughly 30,000 euros, the victories in the respective overall rankings (women’s and men’s singles as well as double-seater) of the Viessmann Luge World Cup will now be rewarded with approximately 40,000 euros. The overall champion in the women’s and men’s singles will now pocket a prize money of 4,000 euros, the overall doubles’ champion will even cash 5,000 euros. The prize money for individual World Cup victories in all three disciplines has been increased by more than one fifth. “Our focus is always on the athletes who ultimately made this suggestion. But of course we need to keep within the bounds of our capabilities”, FIL President Josef Fendt commented. Two-time World champion David Moeller of Germany appreciates the raise. “That’s a considerable increase and we should be thankful to the FIL.”
Apart from these financial incentives there are, of course, numerous sporting successes to be celebrated throughout the 32nd World Cup season. Defending champions are Germany’s Tatjana Huefner, Armin Zoeggeler of Italy and Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch of Germany.
Celebrating seven consecutive victories in eight World Cup events, two-time World champion Tatjana Huefner achieved a so far unique feat. And successfully defending her title at the 40th FIL World Championships, the 2006 Olympic bronze medallist moreover presented herself as a worthy successor to Sylke Otto (2002 and 2006 Olympic champion) and Silke Kraushaar-Pielach (1998 Olympic champion). Thanks to Natalie Geisenberger (European champion and World runner-up in 2008) and Anke Wischnewski (2007 World silver medallist), the winning streak of Germany’s women with so far 81 consecutive victories in the Viessmann Luge World Cup is not seriously endangered. “All good things must end one day. But I do hope it will take a while”, said Tatjana Huefner. Eleven years ago, the last non-German luger to celebrate a victory in the women’s singles was Austria’s Andrea Tagwerker in Koenigssee, on November 29, 1997.
The predominance of Italy’s Armin Zoeggeler in the men’s events is not as strong as in the women’s singles. But having achieved his seventh overall victory, a record number of 40 individual World Cup wins, five World Championship titles and another two Olympic gold medals, the 34-year-old luger from South Tyrol has clearly left his mark. And what is more – he does not yet think about the end of his active career. “The 2011 World Championships will be carried out on my home track in Cesana. That’s clearly a big goal for me”, he explained.
Apart from Zoeggeler, the top favourites to grab the overall World Cup titles are Germany’s David Moeller, 2004 and 2007 World champion, as well as his direct “successor” in the German team, Felix Loch. Austria is setting its hopes on the young talents Daniel Pfister (21), World junior champion Wolfgang Kindl (20) as well as Martin Abentung.
Further candidates are Russia’s Olympic silver medallist Albert Demchenko, Switzerland’s Stefan Hoehener as well as the Canadian team, headed by Jeff Christie, as the future hosts of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
The doubles’ events of the Viessmann Luge World Cup seem to promise the biggest excitement. In the past years, this discipline was marked by the everlasting duel between Germany’s Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch and Italy’s Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber. The 2002 Olympic champions, however, achieved a total of six overall World Cup titles and Leitner-Resch now need just another two in order to draw level with record overall champions Hansjoerg Raffl-Norbert Huber of Italy.
The doubles’ team with Oberstolz-Gruber, 2007 European champions, were a cut above the rest in the 2004-2005 season; they achieved three second places (2005-06, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008) and a third place in the 2003-2004 winter. Last season, the gap between Oberstolz-Gruber and Leitner-Resch amounted to a mere 20 points in favour of the German doubles’ team.
