Calgary (pps) Next Friday and Saturday (November 23-24), the Olympic track in Calgary is expecting a record festival. At the 2nd Viessmann Luge World Cup in Calgary, Germany’s Silke Kraushaar-Pielach in the women’s single and Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch (Germany) in the double-seater have the chance to set new benchmarks. The 1988 Olympic champion Kraushaar-Pielach just needs another individual victory in order to catch up to Sylke Otto (37 individual World Cup wins). Germany’s Leitner-Resch, 2002 Olymipc doubles’ champion, could even outdistance compatriots Stefan Krauße-Jan Behrendt (27 wins).

“I want to become record champion this winter,” is what Silke Kraushaar-Pielach announced after her 36th World Cup victory in Lake Placid on November 16. Leitner-Resch finished second and thus narrowly missed breaking the record in the Olympic host city of 1932 and 1980. They were caught up by Austria’s Olympic champions Andreas Linger-Wolfgang Linger – thanks to their fifth victory in the Viessmann Luge World Cup they celebrated an impressive comeback after a rather unsuccessful post-Olympic season.

Despite a cutback of their budget, the protégés of Austria’s Sports Director Robert Manzenreiter and head coach René Friedl achieved an imposing new start. Daniel Pfister finished fourth and gave evidence of his new stability and quite surprisingly, the relay team grabbed an unexpected second place. “We’re pleased with these good results. It’s doing us really good,” commented René Friedl.

Additionally, even less renowned athletes celebrated good results such as Julia Clukey (USA) who finished fourth and thus achieved the best World Cup result in her career. Or US luger Erin Hamlin, who took a fifth place thus matching her best result of Park City last year. And last but not least 18-year-old Felix Loch (GER) who gained a fifth place, the best result of his career.

On the other hand, Italy’s Armin Zoeggler once again demonstrated that he is a class of his own. With 37 World Cup victories, the two-time Olympic and five-time World champion is the record winner in the men’s single. However, he refutes being a favourite at the World Cup in Calgary: “Others will have more chances to win. Not me,” said Zoeggeler, thereby probably referring to World champion David Moeller (GER) who has three victories under his belt on the track in Calgary.