Tatjana Huefner, Armin Zoeggeler and Wendl-Arlt the overall leaders
Oberhof (pps) Tatjana Huefner (GER), Armin Zoeggeler (ITA) and Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt (GER) will arrive in Oberhof, the sixth stop of the Viessmann Luge World Cup series, as the overall leaders. Even though she was defeated for the first time this season at the World Cup in Koenigssee, Olympic champion Huefner (485 points) has a comfortable lead of 95 points over team-mate and Olympic bronze medallist Natalie Geisenberger (390). Two-time Olympic champion Zoeggeler (470) even boasts a lead of 125 points over his competitor Felix Loch (GER / 345). European runners-up Wendl-Arlt (430) are heading the overall rankings in the doubles’ with a lead of 30 points over Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber (ITA / 400).
Two-time World champion Tatjana Huefner may well be the first female luger in the history of the Viessmann Luge World Cup to win the overall rankings four times in a row. Theoretically, the 27-year old just needs to earn four second places – with Geisenberger each time the winner - in the upcoming four World Cup events in Oberhof, Altenberg (both in Germany), Paramonovo (RUS) and Sigulda (LAT) in order to successfully defend her overall title. On third place in the women’s singles rankings is Anke Wischnewski (GER / 345), Alex Gough (CAN / 276) holds fourth position. Tied for fifth place with 246 points each are World champion Erin Hamlin (USA) and World junior champion Carina Schwab of Germany.
In the men’s singles Armin Zoeggeler is still setting the standards. Earning a third place at the season’s opener in Innsbruck-Igls, the 37 year-old then won the following four World Cup events in Winterberg, Calgary, Park City and Koenigssee – leaving behind rather helpless and perplexed competitors. “Well, Oberhof is not really my kind of track” the five-time World champion is overmodest going into the next event in the Thuringian Forest where he posted a sixth place last year. True enough - at the 2008 Worlds Zoeggeler finished in fifth position only. Third in the overall rankings is Germany’s David Moeller (324) who will celebrate his 29th birthday on Thursday (January 13), followed by Russia’s Viktor Kneyb (286). His compatriot and European champion Albert Demchenko, with 213 point to his credit only in eighth position on the overall rankings, demonstrated an improving performance with his second place in Koenigssee.
In the doubles’ Wendl-Arlt and Oberstolz-Gruber have accomplished to break a bit away from the rest of the teams. Two-times Olympic champions Andreas Linger-Wolfgang Linger (AUT / 346) are 84 points behind the first place, compatriots Peter Penz-Georg Fischler in fourth position are even 95 points behind.
The artificially-iced track in Oberhof will also host the 26th Junior World Luge Championships of the International Luge Federation, FIL, on February 5-6, 2011.
