Two World Cup winners to be determined – Visit by President Medvedev
Paramonovo (pps) As a testament to the importance of the event, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev will honor the 43rd European Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL), at the same time final of the Viessmann Luge World Cup series, with his presence. The 46-year-old announced his visit for Saturday (February 25, 2012), when the World Cup season-long titles in the women’s singles (start at 10:40 hrs local time / 07:40 CET) and doubles (13:50 hrs / 10:50 hrs CET) will be awarded on the artificially refrigerated track in Paramonovo near Moscow.
In these two disciplines, not only gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded at the Europeans but there is also the “Joska” crystal award for the overall Viessmann Luge World Cup winner at stake. Ahead of the season’s final the two top teams of Andreas Linger-Wolfgang Linger of Austria and defending champions Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt (Germany) are separated by only 45 points. In the women’s singles the gap between Germany’s Tatjana Huefner, Olympic and four-time World Champion, and compatriot Natalie Geisenberger, Olympic and 2012 World bronze medalist as well as three-time World runner-up, amounts to no more than 26 points.
Should Geisenberger celebrate a victory, 28-year-old Huefner needs at least a second place to take her fifth consecutive overall victory and to draw level with record-winner Silke Kraushaar-Pielach (Germany). However, defending European Champion Tatiana Ivanova of Russia might well spoil things. Already at the 2012 Worlds in Altenberg (GER), she surprisingly earned silver. “I’d bet on Tatiana. She’ll be going strong,” said Geisenberger.
In the doubles, Ivanova’s teammates and World fifth-placed Vladislav Yuzhakov-Vladimir Makhnutin might well emerge as the “dark horses”. After all, Russia’s top luge athletes did not compete at the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Sigulda, Latvia, so as to prepare specifically for the home event. Linger-Linger, three-time World and two-time Olympic Champions as well as defending European Champions, would like to complete their title collection with the still missing overall World Cup victory. On the other hand Wendl-Arlt, who were bumped out of the medals in the 2012 Worlds, intend to earn a European Championship medal and hope to repeat last year’s success as overall World Cup winners.
In the men’s singles, Felix Loch has already won the overall World Cup crown. But he still hopes to make things difficult for local heroes Albert Demchenko and Viktor Kneyb on the artificially refrigerated track. “Those two are my top favorites,” said the 22-year-old German luger (2010 Olympic Champion, 2008, 2009 and 2012 World Champion as well as 2011-2012 overall World Cup winner) who only needs the European Championship gold medal to complete his title collection.
