Torino, Italy (pps) While Albert Demchenko has become the first Russian to win the Viessmann Luge World Cup even before the finals on the coming weekend in Torino/ Cesana Pariol (February 5-6), the decisions in the women’s and doubles’ events promise a lot of suspense on Saturday. Two women and two doubles can still win the overall trophy.
The two-time Olympic silver medallist and 2004 World runner-up, German Barbara Niedernhuber, competes in the final race with an advantage of just ten points towards her team-mate and World champion, Silke Kraushaar. While Niedernhuber has never gained an international title, Kraushaar was the overall Viessmann World Cup champion in 1998-1999, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002).
The Italian doubles Christian Oberstolz and Patrick Gruber have an advantage of 21 points over Germany’s World silver medallists, André Florschuetz and Torsten Wustlich. Neither of the two doubles have ever won the overall Viessmann Luge World Cup. If the Italians are successful, it would be the first overall win in the doubles for more than ten years. Hansjoerg Raffl and Norbert Huber were the last Italians to win the Viessmann World Cup in 1992-1993.
Albert Demchenko who achieved four wins in the eight races held so far, may compete in the pre-Olympic test at Cesana Pariol without any pressure. His first overall victory also pays off: “I have been promoted to the highest financial level in Russian sports“, the 1996 European silver medallist disclosed after his win at Winterberg, Germany. The last Russian luger who achieved that level, was Sergei Danilin, the 1984 Olympic silver medallist.