Becky Wilczak remains at the top – Leitner-Resch lead in the doubles
Igls (pps) Two starts – two victories in the Viessmann World Cup: but three-time Olympic champion Georg Hackl names World champion Armin Zoeggeler, Italy, the favourite for the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. „Zoeggeler has certainly still an ace up his sleeve”, Hackl said after the competition at Koenigssee, where he celebrated his 25th win in the Viessmann World Cup in the 150th World Cup event of the International Luge Federation, FIL. And that on his home track where the three-time World champion had not won since 1993. Hackl: “This victory was important for my confidence.”
Hackl now holds second position in the overall ranking together with Austrian record-winner Markus Prock (33 World Cup victories) with 200 points each behind leading Zoeggeler (245). “The Olympics are my great goal. In the World Cup, I take it from race to race and then I’ll see whether I can defend my title”, the three-time World champion from Italy said.
Thanks to the fourth place behind the German trio, Silke Kraushaar, Sylke Otto and Barbara Niedernhuber, US American Betty Wilczak defended her top position in the overall ranking. „It is certainly possible to defeat the Germans even though they are currently very good. I shall give my best in Salt Lake City”, said Becky Wilczak who is leading with 205 points from the joint second, Kraushaar and Otto (185 each). „At the Olympics I think the Americans will be very strong. They have a young, good team”, two-time World champion Sylke Otto said.
In the overall ranking in the doubles there was a change of the lead. The two-time World champions, Germany’s Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch, took over the top position with their second victory at their second start and now have 200 points. The former leaders, Italy’s Patrick Oberstolz-Christian Gruber managed only ninth place at Koenigssee and dropped to third position with 165 points behind Germany’s World champions, Andre Florschuetz-Torsten Wustlich (170).
Last year’s winners at Igls
Igls (pps) Though Germany’s Sonja Wiedemann won her first race in the Viessmann World Cup last year at Igls, she will not compete on the 1976 Olympic track in spite of her second win four weeks ago in Lake Placid. The 1999 World champion failed to qualify for the German World Cup team.
The other winners at Igls in 2000, Italy’s Armin Zoeggeler in the men’s singles and Germany’s Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch in the doubles, will be competing in Austria.
The schedule at Igls
Igls (pps) Ladies first: the women will start the Viessmann World Cup at Igls on Wednesday, followed by the doubles. The men’s decision will be carried out on Thursday.
For the exact schedule please click on organizer - info from the start page.
ZDF broadcasts from Viessmann Luge World Cup at Igls
Igls (pps) The public German TV station, ZDF, will broadcast the events of the Viessmann Luge World Cup at Igls on both days. Sandwiched between the transmission from the Biathlon World Cup at Pokljuka, Slovenia, ZDF will show 15 and 20 minutes luge from Igls in its sports shows “Winter Sports Live” (12:15-14:15 hrs) on Wednesday and Thursday.
Recorded broadcast on Eurospor
Igls (pps) In addition to the public German TV station, ZDF, Eurosport will also broadcast from the 4th Viessmann Luge World Cup at Igls. Eurosport will air a one-hour recorded broadcast from the first day on Thursday, December 13 (11:30-12:30 hrs).
Skel-Woeller not to the Olympics
Igls (pps) After the 1999 World champion Sonja Wiedemann failed to qualify for the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City (February 8-24, 2002) in the German trials, Steffen Skel and Steffen Woeller, the 2000-2001 World Cup champions and twice World silver medallists in the doubles, also missed the internal qualification. „In order to qualify for the Olympics, we would have had to close the gap to Florschuetz and Wustlich at Koenigssee. We are very disappointed”, said Steffen Skel after finishing third directly behind their competitors.
