Christmas comes early for World Champions Eggert/Benecken
Lake Placid (RWH) A new track record, a 25th victory in the Viessmann World Cup, and a huge lead in the overall standings – Christmas came early for Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken at the Viessmann World Cup in Lake Placid, NY, with the BMW Sprint World Cup still to come to round off Saturday's action.
The current World Champions set a new record of 43.372 seconds on the demanding artificial ice track on Mount Van Hoevenberg. The previous best time had been held by Gerhard Plankensteiner/Oswald Rieder since they clinched gold in the 2009 World Championship. The duo from Oberhof remain unbeaten in the Olympic doubles event. Their only defeat this season came in the BMW Sprint World Cup in Winterberg, in which they finished second.
The pair claimed their 25th victory in the Olympic discipline to fend off the Austrian duo of Peter Penz/Georg Fischler, who finished second on both runs to end up second overall. Third went to Canadians Tristan Walker/Justin Snith.
Eggert/Benecken (585) lead the overall standings of the Viessmann World Cup ahead of the next round on 6-7 January 2018 on the Königssee ice track in Germany. Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (431) of Germany are second, having come home in seventh in Lake Placid, with Penz/Fischler (331) in third.
Quotes
Toni Eggert (GER / 2017 World Champion, overall winner of the Viessmann World Cup in 2015 and 2017):
“We’ve given ourselves an amazing Christmas present. Week in, week out we’re told we’re the Olympic favourites. Now it doesn’t scare us anymore.”
Peter Penz (AUT / World Championship silver medallist in 2015 and World Championship bronze medallist in 2012):
“Lake Placid is pure rock ‘n’ roll, there’s no other track quite like it. You really feel the adrenaline pumping on every run. We’re gradually becoming hunter number one in the German doubles squad.”
Tristan Walker (CAN / Olympic fourth 2014):
“We haven’t been on the podium for quite a while. This has given us a real boost. Though it comes as a bit of a surprise after how things went in training.”
