Sigulda (pps) Germany?s Georg Hackl and the doubles Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch could cash a cheque before competing for Olympic honour. The three-time Olympic champion as well as the two-time European and World champions still have the opportunity to win the small jackpot put up by the International Luge Federation, FIL, and its marketing partner, KirchSport, in the Olympic winter.

Hackl and his Bavarian team-mates came top on the overall rankings of the Three-Track event and the Krombacher Super Cup at Koenigssee. But while Hackl only needs one further victory in the final two events at Sigulda (January 18) and Winterberg (January 25) after his win at the Krombacher Challenge Cup at Calgary, Leitner and Resch must win both races to ensure their share of the bonus of US$10,000. In the women?s event, Silke Kraushaar still has the opportunity to win the small jackpot.

The schedule of the Krombacher Challenge Cup at Sigulda

Sigulda (pps) The Krombacher Challenge Cup next Friday (January 18) at Sigulda will start at 10:00 hrs local time, the final begins at 12:30 hrs. Eurosport will show a summary from Sigulda on January 19 (00:30-01:45 hrs).

The previous winners this season

1st Krombacher Challenge Cup in Calgary:Women1. Sylke Otto (GER), 2. Silke Kraushaar (GER), 3. B. Niedernhuber (GER)Men: 1. Georg Hackl (GER), 2. Karsten Albert (GER), 3. Armin Zoeggeler (ITA)Doubles: 1. Florschutz/Wustlich (GER), 2. Moffat/Pothier (CAN), 3. Brugger/Huber (ITA)

2nd Krombacher Challenge Cup in Koenigssee:Women:1. Sylke Otto (GER), 2. Silke Kraushaar (GER), 3. B. Niedernhuber (GER)Men:1. Markus Prock (AUT), 2. Georg Hackl (GER), 3. Armin Zoeggeler (ITA)Doubles:1. Florschutz/Wustlich (GER), 2. Schiegl/Schiegl (AUT), 3. Grimmette/Martin (USA)

Sylke Otto, Markus Prock and Leitner-Resch European championsRehearsal for 2003 World Championships in Sigulda

Sigulda (pps) The first medals of the Olympic winter have been awarded. Reigning World champion Sylke Otto, Germany, Austria?s long-running Markus Prock and German doubles Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch achieved the European titles last weekend at Altenberg. While Prock captured the gold medal for the third time after 1994 and 1998, Sylke Otto and Leitner-Resch all collected their second European title after 2000.

After an almost four-week break, the Viessmann Luge World Cup is facing the finishing straight on the coming weekend at Sigulda. The sixth and last but one event of the season in Latvia will also be the rehearsal for the 2003 World Championships allocated to the artificial track at Sigulda for the first time ever.

Olympic champion Silke Kraushaar of Germany, World champion Armin Zoeggeler of Italy, and Leitner-Resch will travel to the Baltic country as World Cup leaders. Zoeggeler leads with 350 from Prock (345) and three-time Olympic champion Georg Hackl (339); Leitner-Resch with 345 points from Germany?s Steffen Skel-Steffen Woeller (295) and Italians Kurt Brugger-Wilfried Huber (287); Silke Kraushaar with 385 points from compatriot Sylke Otto (355) and Austria?s 1992 Olympic silver medallist Angelika Neuner (296).

ZDF broadcasts men?s event on Sunday

Sigulda (pps) The German public TV station, ZDF, will show a recorded broadcast from the men?s event in Sigulda on Sunday, January 20 between 17:30 and 17:45 hrs. Eurosport will broadcast a summary of the women?s and doubles? events in the night from Saturday to Sunday (00:45-01:15 hrs).

The schedule in Sigulda

Sigulda (pps) As usual in the past few years, the women?s singles and the doubles will be the first events of the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Sigulda on Saturday. The men?s event will be carried out on Sunday.

Saturday, January 19, 200210.00 hrs local time/09.00 CET: 1st heat women11.30/10.30 hrs: 2nd heat women13.00/12.00 hrs: 1st heat doubles14.15/13.15 hrs: 2nd heat doubles

Sunday, January 20, 200211.30/10.30 hrs: 1st heat men13.50/12.50 hrs: 2nd heat men

Nick Sullivan captured third US Olympic ticket

Salt Lake City (pps) Nick Sullivan captured the third and last ticket in the men?s singles of the US team for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games (February 8-24) in Salt Lake City. Sullivan won the two-day race-off against Jon Myles on the Olympic track at Utah Olympic Park. Sullivan?s winning margin on the second day was just 11 thousandths of a second.

Sullivan thus complements the 10-head team of the US association. Tony Benshoof and Adam Heidt had already been nominated earlier for the men?s singles. Becky Wilczak, Ashley Hayden and Courtney Zablocki will represent the Stars and Stripes in the women?s event, and the Nagano Olympic bronze medallists, Mark Grimmette-Brian Martin, and Chris Thorpe-Clay Ives in the doubles.

Denis Geppert as European silver medallist to the Olympics

Altenberg (pps) By winning the European silver medal, Denis Geppert also assured himself the last Olympic ticket in the men?s singles for Germany. 25-year-old Geppert won the internal duel against his competitor David Moeller. The World junior champion could only manage sixth place in the Europeans on his 20th birthday. Geppert will accompany three-time Olympic champion Georg Hackl and former European silver medallist Karsten Albert to Salt Lake City.

Moeller will be a spectator at the Olympic Winter Games as he received an invitation by the National Olympic Committee for Germany, NOC, to take part in the youth camp. But before he travels to the US, Moeller wants to defend his title successfully at the World Junior Championships at Innsbruck-Igls (February 2-3, 2002).

Exciting Olympic trials in Italy

Altenberg (pps) The Olympic trials in the men?s doubles in Italy is very exciting. Since winning the bronze medal at the European Championships in Altenberg last weekend, Gerhard Plankensteiner and Oswald Haselrieder are the third contenders for the two places. The 1992 Olympic champions and current third-placed in the World Cup, Kurt Brugger-Wilfried Huber, and Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber, this seaon?s winners at Lake Placid, are still aheaed of them. However, ?the tracks at Sigulda and Winterberg suit us well?, said Oswald Haselrieder in Altenberg, keeping his hopes alive.

Silke Kraushaar, Zoeggeler and Skel-Woeller last year?s winners in Sigulda

Sigulda (pps) World champion Armin Zoeggeler, Olympic champion Silke Kraushaar and last year?s overall World Cup champions, Steffen Skel-Steffen Woeller won the last Viessmann World Cups events in Sigulda last year. The Latvian artificial track will host the 2003 World Luge Championships.