Viessmann Luge World Cup always full of surprises

Two US women lead the standings; Kindl follows in Kleinheinz’s footsteps

Calgary (RWH) Two US women are at the top of the overall rankings for the first time in the sport’s history, while an Austrian is leading the men’s standings for the first time in 11 years. The Viessmann Luge World Cup is still full of surprises in its 38th year as athletes head to the fourth round of the race series in Calgary, Canada, this weekend. As in Park City, Utah, points will be available at the 1988 Olympic track as competitors vie for the Viessmann Luge World Cup and the BMW Sprint World Cup. In addition, the American-Pacific Championships, the counterpart to the European Championships, will also be decided. 

Summer Britcher, runner-up in the International Luge Federation (FIL) U23 World Championships in 2015, and Olympic bronze medallist Erin Hamlin are leading the overall standings of the Viessmann Luge World Cup, the first time that two American women have topped the table. Summer Britcher, who has 325 points, took the leader’s yellow jersey thanks to her two maiden World Cup victories in the space of 24 hours. “It’s definitely a confidence builder, an experience builder to be sitting in this position, but it would be kind of a naive to expect this,” said the 21-year-old. European Champion Dajana Eitberger from Germany is in third place on 279 points behind 2009 World Champion Erin Hamlin (316). Olympic and World Champion Natalie Geisenberger, still winless this season, is in fourth place on 265 points.

As with the US women at the top of the standings, Wolfgang Kindl’s lead in the men’s event also has an historical dimension. The 2015 World Championship bronze medallist has become the first Austrian to lead the Viessmann Luge World Cup classification since Markus Kleinheinz 11 years ago. Kleinheinz won the season opener in Altenberg on November 14, 2004 and managed to defend his lead one week later in Sigulda. Kleinheinz, overall winner of the 2002/2003 winter season, went on to finish the 2004 season in third place behind Albert Demchenko (RUS) and Georg Hackl (GER).

Kindlhas a similar small and compact stature to Germany’s three-time Olympic Champion Georg Hackl. He makes up for his deficit at the start with an excellent driving technique. “I may even have an aerodynamic advantage,” said Kindl with new-found confidence.

All winning streaks have to come to an end, and the German team’s run of luck in the doubles ran out during the BMW Sprint World Cup in Park City. Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt or Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken had taken victory in 15 consecutive races. However, Christian Oberstolz/Patrick Gruber from Italy won the doubles race on the 2002 Olympic track which, ironically, was also the venue for the last non-German win in the Viessmann Luge World Cup on January 25, 2014. After 19 years competing in the Viessmann Luge World Cup, the two South Tyroleans, at 38 and 37 years old respectively, are in the twilight of their careers but still won World Championship bronze last year and were European Champions in 2014. “We’ll see how long we keep going,” the two said in unison.