“Market leader” Germany is briskly rotating
Sigulda (pps) For almost two years now, since February 20, 2011 to be precise, Canada is putting faith into the same line-up with Alex Gough, Sam Edney and Justin Walker-Tristan Snith who have competed in the eight Team Relay events of the Viessmann Luge World Cup series since that day. Last year, the quartet claimed second place in the overall World Cup standings. And even though Canada did not compete in Sigulda, they already earned a second-place finish at the season opener in Innsbruck-Igls.
While Canada’s head coach, Wolfgang Staudinger, is always relying on the same team for lack of an ample choice of sliders, “market leader” Germany is briskly rotating the team line-up. At the season opener in Innsbruck-Igls the black-red-golden team with Anke Wischnewski, David Moeller and Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt took the podium’s top spot. In Altenberg the successful team consisted of Natalie Geisenberger, Felix Loch and, again, Wendl-Arlt. At the third Team Relay event in Sigulda, Germany won with the same line-up as in Altenberg.
“It’s true - the Germans are spoiled for choice. It seems to be of no consequence who’s actually on the team,” commented Staudinger, who recently received an award for “Coaching Excellence”. He was one of nine coaches recognized across Canada with the honor. The 1988 Olympic bronze medalist (in the doubles together with Thomas Schwab) has to work with a small circle of top lugers while his German colleague Norbert Loch can apparently draw on abundant resources.
There are four different nations in the standings behind defending and World Champion Germany. In Innsbruck-Igls, Canada and Italy made the podium places apart from Germany; in Altenberg it was Austria and Russia; while Italy and Russia made it onto the podium in Sigulda. Germany is currently leading the overall rankings with 300 points to their credit, ahead of Italy (215), Russia (195) and Latvia (160). Since Canada did not compete in Sigulda, they dropped down to seventh place on the overall rankings. At total of 14 teams compete in the Team Relay event.
Until the end of the season, the upcoming Team Relay events within the Viessmann Luge World Cup series will be carried out in Koenigssee (Germany), Lake Placid (USA) and Sochi (Russia). Additionally, Team Relay medals will be awarded at the 44th FIL Luge European Championships in Oberhof (Germany) on January 13, 2013 and at the 44th FIL Luge World Championships in Whistler (Canada) on February 2, 2013.
