Koenigssee (pps) Russian Albert Demchenko catapulted himself from seventh into the leading position with a sensational second heat. Germany’s Barbara Niedernhuber achieved her third successive victory. And the German doubles André Florschuetz- Torsten Wustlich profited from the absence of their still injured team-mates Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch to gain their second win this season. These were the headlines from the Viessmann Luge World Cup at Oberhof, Germany, last weekend.

Promising German talents such as the doubles Marcel Lorenz-Christian Baude as runners-up, Tatjana Huefner in fourth and Andi Langenhan in seventh position showed their potential.

The talents will not compete, however, at the sixth event of this year’s Viessmann Luge World Cup on the artificially-iced track at Koenigssee, Germany, on Wednesday and Thursday (January 5-6, 2005). Leitner-Resch celebrate their comeback after an elbow-injury; Patrick Schuerer will get a chance in the men’s singles; and Anke Wischnewski, the winner at Altenberg, will return to the German World Cup team.

Barbara Niedernhuber will compete on her home-track for the first time as the overall leader. The Bavarian (406 points) extended her lead over World champion Silke Kraushaar (371) in the overall rankings by winning the fifth World Cup race of her career. “But at Koenigssee there will be others who lead the tune, particularly such good starters as Kraushaar”, 30-year-old Niedernhuber put a damper on too high expectations.

In the men’s event Albert Demchenko (379 points) defended his top position from Germany’s World champion David Moeller (357) by achieving his second victory this winter. Prior to competing on his home-track at Koenigssee, veteran Georg Hackl’s form is consistently getting better: from fifth place at Altenberg, seventh at Sigulda, fourth at Calgary to third at Oberhof. Hackl’s prognosis for Koenigssee: “The top will be as close together as at Calgary. And half-a-dozen lugers are in with a chance for victory. I reckon strongly with the Austrians who were defeated short at Oberhof.”

As in the past years, the suspense will be highest in the doubles competition. There are less than 100 points difference between the Italian leaders Christian Oberstolz- Patrick Gruber (361 points) and sixth-placed Austrians Tobias Schiegl-Markus Schiegl (285). In between are Germany’s Sebastian Schmidt-Andre Forker (350) and André Florschuetz-Torsten Wustlich (340); the American Olympic silver medallists Mark Grimmette-Brian Martin (304) and Austria’s former World champions, Andreas Linger-Wolfgang Linger (297). And Leitner-Resch, who came close to the track record in training, want to be at the top once again on their home-track.